GWSFHS Oct 2018
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GALLUS Glasgow Ancestry Links the Likes of Us No 113 October 2018 Journal of the Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History Society Scottish Charity SC 010866 Honorary President Lord Gordon of Strathblane C.B.E. Honorary Vice-Presidents Mrs. Susan Miller, Edward W. Nairn, James G. Slavin, Elizabeth D. Smith COUNCIL Office Bearers Chairman ............... Andrew Eadie Vice-Chairman …… Brian Watson Secretary ............... James G. Slavin Treasurer................. Elizabeth H. Anderson Ordinary Members Sheila Cuthbertson Karen Fraser ……………. Minutes Secretary David Hart ………………. E news Editor Edward W Nairn James Oakes.................... Mailing Officer / publications Robert Stewart ………….. Online members’ interests Coordinator John Whitehouse Ex-Officio Members Editor ..................... Sheila Duffy Membership Sec ... Elizabeth D.Smith Other Administrative Assistants Diana Burns / Jean Mackenzie……. Facebook coordinators Dr. William Duncan .......... .………... Research Coordinator Margaret Elliot……………………….. New members’ coordinator Linda Emery.………………………… Librarian Iain Milmine ....................... ………. .. Printing John McCallum ................. ………... Magazine Typesetter Annette McGarill … ………………. Syllabus secretary Sandra Speedie.............................. Office manager Maureen Watson ……….. ………... Publications Assistant ALL CORRESPONDENCE should be sent to the Society’s address, marking EACH ITEM for the appropriate assistant, and quoting your membership number. Please enclose s.a.e. & return postage for reply. Owing to the amount of spam being received, the Chairman, Secretary and Membership Secretary’s official e-mail addresses have been changed. These officers are accessible via the website. The following email addresses are for use of members and non-members wishing information about the Society, and are strictly NOT for research queries. Editor................................ [email protected] Publications Officer............ [email protected] CONTENTS Issue 113 October 2018 MEETINGS 5 The Daphne Disaster 14 Maps for Scottish Family History The Newsletter is published three times per year, in March, June and October. Articles are copyright to the Society and the authors and may not be reproduced without the written ARTICLES permission of the copyright holders. Articles are accepted for publication 13 Glasgow Cathedral on condition that they are not 20 Glasgow’s Queen of Stage and Screen submitted for publication elsewhere. Contributions may be sent either by 27 Oran Mor ‘Church’ post to the Society’s premises in 27 Female Railway Workers in World War 11 Glasgow or alternatively by email to - 28 A Merchant’s Tale [email protected] 33 Scottish testaments after 1925 36 Two Sharp Operators The Society does not accept 39 Garden Theft responsibility for the views expressed 41 Chairman’s letter by contributors in their articles. 42 Carol’s Headstone Photographs – Australia The Editor reserves the right to edit 43 Burial Lair inquiry contributions. 48 Campbeltown Picture House Data Protection Act The Society maintains a database of members’ names, addresses and research interests on computer for administration and research purposes. These details will not be made available to any third party for any reason, private or commercial. Information supplied may be printed in the Society’s Newsletter to assist members’ REGULARS research. On joining and renewal of membership, members are requested to 4 Editorial consent to their details being held on 44 News from the Archives computer. On the cessation of 46 Letters to the Editor membership, these details are removed from the database. 49 Can Anyone Help? 50 Book Reviews Front cover – Duke Street Prison Glasgow see article on page 36— Two Sharp Operators ISSN 0141 8009 G&WSFHS October 2018 Editorial Once again thank you to all the people voyages – and many streets in the city who have contributed to, and helped took their name from this trade - Virginia produce, the magazine. The society Street, Tobago Street, Jamaica Street. depends on volunteers entirely and we are Names of families involved that may ring very lucky to have so many willing folk. a bell include John Glassford, the Hopkirk Four years ago the society cooperated family, Andrew Buchanan, Archibald with Glasgow Life Museums for an Ingram and James Dunlop. The Merchant exhibition on Georgian Glasgow and its City is dominated by the wealth of the People. At that time two of our members Tobacco Lords. The Gallery of Modern became actively involved and parts of the Art, on the western edge of the district, Georgian section of their family tree, were was the family home built for William highlighted in Kelvingrove Art Gallery. Cunninghame whose family’s estate in The museums are planning another, Jamaica reportedly held some three ‘Glasgow and its links with Slavery’, for hundred slaves. 2019 /2020, and would like members who Even our beloved Mitchell Library in may have connections to the tobacco lords Glasgow is not immune from the to share their stories or research. connection with slavery. Stephen Mitchell Apparently many of the Tobacco Lords 1789 -1874 was born in to a long intermarried or their children did, and it established family of tobacco merchants is partly this extended family connection and left a bequest of nearly seventy that the society might be able to help with. thousand pounds ‘for the establishment I know there are major difficulties with and maintenance of a large public library records before 1841 / 1855 and the in Glasgow’ to be known as ‘the Mitchell tobacco trade was really at its height Library.’ It initially opened to the public in before then but if you have a story to tell November 1877. do get in touch with me in the first place. Dozens of ships which left Glasgow during Sheila Duffy member 219 the 1700s were involved directly in slave [email protected] Andrew Carnegie at the laying of the foundation stone of the Mitchell Library 1907 4 G&WSFHS October 2018 The Daphne Disaster This is the report of the meeting and talk to members in April this year. The speaker was William Black who as well as being a member of the GWSFHS and regular contributor to this newsletter, is a keen local historian. Bill tells me that he retired before CVs were invented, when I asked for his background details. “My answer is ‘I am just me’ the talk is the important thing not the speaker. For magazine articles I only say that I am a retired training manager who likes to delve into the lesser known aspects of local history in the Glasgow and West of Scotland area.” Just before 6 am on Tuesday 3rd July 1883, Andrew Henderson walked down a sunlit Govan Road and passed through the gates of the Linthouse shipyard of Alexander Stephen & Son. The twenty eight year old engineer was feeling happy, not only due to the fine summer weather, but also in anticipation of his wedding, which was due to take place in two days time at Whiteinch. There was an air of anticipation within The Brier the yard also, where they were preparing shipyard, was controlling the launch. to launch a new vessel that morning. It was due to take place at 11.30 am, Referred to as Yard No 279, she was not some thirty minutes before high water particularly exceptional, but all launches and, at 11 am, the last checks were special. She was a 447 ton screw commenced. Men went round the ship, steamer, being built for the Glasgow, checking that all portholes had been Dublin & Londonderry Steam Packet Co. closed, while Robert McMaster, the yard Intended to carry passengers and cargo manager, was clearing unwanted people between Glasgow and Londonderry, she from the vessel. Unfortunately he was a smaller version of two previous missed a few, including three rivet boys, company vessels, SHAMROCK and aged thirteen, who sneaked aboard BRIER. during the morning. Also aboard John Stephen, a partner in the unofficially was one non-employee, William Telfer, a twenty one year old dentist. Just before 1130, McMaster joined Stephen at the top of the slipway. They were waiting for a signal from the launch boat, positioned out on the river, that the launch path was clear. When this was received, Stephen ordered “Launch” and, after the vessel was named DAPHNE, the dog shores and slipway triggers were released. The ship rumbled slowly Govan in the 1880s 5 G&WSFHS October 2018 chain. As DAPHNE moved out into the channel, the drag chains took effect. Firstly the starboard chain began to check her progress, being positioned to prevent the ship swinging up river on the incoming tide. Then, seconds later, the port chain, which was run out over the bow to hold her steady, came into action. As the ship slowed to a halt, the tension Drawing from the Illustrated London News on the chains caused the vessel to begin to recoil slowly and, as she did so, she down the ways and slid smoothly into the was seen to be canting to port. river. Initially this did not cause concern, it At this point the Clyde is comparatively being normal for ships to oscillate narrow, being no more than 114 metres slightly when launched. Then it was (370 ft) wide. In consequence, vessels realised that the canting motion was were launched at an acute angle continuing and DAPHNE kept rolling downstream, pushing them into the deep over to port. channel. At 45o she appeared to hesitate slightly, To slow down the ship, long chains then begin to recover but, before anyone were attached to either side, these being on shore could even breath a sigh of secured to half buried anchors, relief, the capsize resumed, and she positioned alongside the launch ways. disappeared under the waters of the Attached to the anchors were a series of Clyde. heavy iron plates, linked together with As those gathered on both banks of the Detail from Illustrated London News drawing 6 G&WSFHS October 2018 Clyde watched in horror, men were seen with a squad of policemen, he decreed being thrown into the river, while the that the small store cleared as a mortuary screams of those trapped within the ship, was inadequate.