The spotlight in this Colvilles Magazine from December 1922 was on two characters with biographies of both men who came from the local area. There are plenty of other names as well of events in and around Kilbirnie and Glengarnock.
Month: August 2019
Glengarnock Steel Works: War Memorials unveiled (including Kilbirnie) November 1922.
To avoid confusion, let me explain:
- There was a Plaque for both wars inside Glengarnock Church (demolished) and details can be found here on the Imperial War Museum´s site and it resides now in the Auld Kirk of Kilbirnie along with another plaque for their own Kilbirnie parishoners.
- A memorial for WW1 was a plaque attached to a building at the steel works. I have seen it as a boy and I recall that it was on the back of one of the steel works offices. I do not know if that contained names of the second war also. The Colvilles staff magazines in the early 1920s contained a pull out glossy souvenir about those employees who died during the first world war. Details are on this site.
- A new Plaque was unveiled at Glengarnock Primary School for WWII only but that school has since been demolished – it may have been transferred to the replacement secondary school at Glengarnock. The outdated Imperial war museum entry is here for that one.
- A separate war memorial exists in Kilbirnie at the park gate covering both wars for people who lived in Kilbirnie. The Imperial war museum reference is here.
Here is the roll of Honour from the staff magazine about Glengarnock with the Steel works Employee names on there:
Hamilton McQueen – Glengarnock Steel Works 1921
Original scans are at the bottom.
Text of page 1:
April, 1921
Glengarnock Gleanings
MR. HAMILTON M’QUEEN, whose general appearance and activity would appear to defy the march of time, has nevertheless earned the distinction of being numbered amongst the oldest of the employees at Glengarnock. Born in Kilbirnie on 23rd April, 1857, he began work as a boy in the Pits, and continued in the employment of Messrs. Merry & Cunninghame for a number of years prior to starting in the Works here.
During his long career he has filled various positions in the Works, and has discharged his duties connected therewith to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. The fact that he still reigns at the 28″ Mill Rack Pushers after 20 years’ continuous service speaks volumes for his reliability and skill as a workman.
Possessed of a disposition not readily ruffled, “Hammie,” as he is affectionately called, is most popular amongst his fellow-workers, and has a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. For a long number of years he was a familiar and most welcome figure at Dances and other functions where “maisik” was in demand; and we have heard him spoken of as a “rare hardy fiddler wha could gar his elbow jink the maist pairt o’ a nicht.”
Mr. M’Queen is a delightful raconteur when describing the customs and exploits of his earlier days; and as he has an extensive knowledge of all that pertains to the district, one gains much valuable information in the course of a little chat with him.
We know it is the desire of his fellow-workers that their esteem and good wishes may be conveyed to Mr. M’Queen through the medium of our Magazine, and we have pleasure in doing so.
Page 2
The Annual General Meeting of Garnock Tennis Club
was held on Monday, 24th March, when there was a good turnout of members. Reports were read by the Secretary and Treasurer, showing that the Club had had a good season and that the financial balance was satisfactory. The following Office-bearers were appointed for the coming season:
- President: Mr. P. A. Abernethy
- Vice-President: Mr. R. L. Aitken
- Captain: Mr. W. Anderson
- Secretary: Mr. John Busby
- Treasurer: Andrew Parker
- Committee: Hugh Aitken, James MacBride, Irvine Clingan, and Robert Fisher.
Captain John Colvin was quite lately presented by Montgreenan with a new Gold Medal for the Classes, to be competed for at the New Housing Scheme. Two Vegetable Garden Medals—other prizes will be next in order of mention. Competent Judges will be appointed to come along and apportion points for the Best Flower Garden immediately after the Garden Produce has been staged for exhibit on Saturday. Should any six of the following—2 Cabbages, 2 Cauliflowers, 3 Turnips, 6 Shallots, 3 Leeks, or Celery—be shown, the Judges on the day of exhibition have been given power to….
Page 3 text
The weather conditions were so bad on Saturday, 5th
March, that all Football games had to be cancelled.Our Welfare team had a visit from Irvine United on 19th
March, in a League game. Notwithstanding the sodden
state of the ground and the steady downpour of rain, the
players turned out and did battle until just after the interval,
when, the conditions having become utterly unsuited for
continuing, the game was abandoned with the score
standing at 2 goals each. Our goal scorers were:—A.
Johnstone and S. Hunter.We played our return League game with Irvine Heather‐
bell, at Irvine, on 26th March, in a blustering wind against
which it was difficult to make progress. We found our
opponents a greatly improved and much heavier team than
that we defeated so decisively in the first game at Glen‐
garnock; and as we were without two of our regular players
it was not surprising that the game resulted in our being
beaten by 4–0.The Juveniles have been unable to play their Irvine and
District Juvenile Cup Tie with Riccarton Victoria, owing to
the latter being engaged in the Ayrshire Juvenile Cup.With the change to “Summer” time we hope to be able
to arrange a series of evening games which should prove
interesting and perhaps even exciting.
“The March o’ Intellec’.”
By An’ra MacDougall (Glengarnock).
GLENGARNOCK is thirsting for lore, as the dry land
thirsteth for the water‐brooks. We hae foundit a
Mutual Improvement, Pheelosofical, Scienteefic an’
Literary Society, an’ a’ the literate about the place are
writin’ essays, an’ readin’ books, an’ preparin’ debates, an’
generally improvin’ their min’s.The openin’ meetin’ was a great success. The Y.M.C.A.
Hut wis croodit tae the door. The meenister was there,
wipin’ the sweet frae his broo wi’ a big, red hankey; an’
the fair sex mustered in force an’ listen’t an’ lauched an’
swung their feet back an’ forrit.
Extract from Colvilles Staff Magazine, 1921, (two pages) other names mentioned, An´ra MacDougall, Robert Breckenridge, PA Abernethy, E. Sharp, Avil´s Cottage, Ed Kerr, W Anderson, John Drysdale, GP West, Robert Ferguson, James McArthur, John Busby, Andrew Millar, James Millar, John McGhie, Hugh Aitken, James Robertson, James MacBride, John MacBride, Irvine Clifford, Hugh Blue, Alex McMurray, Robert Irvine, (there are other pictures of him around Kilbirnie and his work with the Salvation Army, if its the same person) John Colville, David Colville,
Glengarnock Steel Works Magazines 1920-1960.
I recently visited the Mitchell Library Glasgow where the entire collection of the staff magazines for Colvilles are held. For those of you who dont know, Colvilles owned not only these steel works at Glengarnock but many others across the region. They issued a staff magazine between 1920 and the 1960s. At which time it became British Steel. The continued with magazines which are likely around somewhere. These bound magazines can also be purchased if you google them, online.
The Colvilles magazine contains many bits of information, photos, stories and letters about and from the Glengarnock Steel works Employees. I started to collect some of these by using the camera on my phone before the library assistant stopped me and said I need to photocopy them instead. I am posting the ones I found which are a few extracts of the earlier magazines with news of Glengarnock. The early copies seem to focus a lot on regular contributors like William Allan or Allen who was a gifted poet and photographer, and Robert Stevenson, a photographer and writer who seemed to finally leave in the early days, both locals. There also common surnames like Blue, McTaggart, Milligan, Geddes, and many more in these 1920s editions. If you are researching a particular North Ayrshire name, tell me and I will try to help. They also talk about the social events which the employees went to, such as dances, talks and classes, particularly in the Orange Hall (now demolished) which if I remember correctly may have been owned by the Steel works or at least built on steel works land.
I will post each one separately, in the coming days to ensure I cover and transcribe all of the relevant information in there.