Category: Kilbirnie / North Ayrshire

St Brigids Church History 1862-1962

Audio Book: 

please click here for the document (PDF) 

Final page uploaded with Priest’s names seperately here

This 27 page document produced in 1962 looks at Catholicism on the west coast of Scotland and details how the  Church in Kilbirnie came to be  opened in 1862. It contains a photo of the first priest  ( I already posted his death certificate on this blog) as well as the  surnames of all of the first Catholic families to worship in the Church which is very good for genealogy researchers.  It gives a rare glimpse of Catholic life on the west coast of Scotland and also talks about the opening of the school as well as other Churches in the area.

Jean Jeffrey McTaggart

 

This picture is of Jean Jeffrey, my Great Great Grandmother, (sometimes spelt Jeffray or Jeffries) who was married to Neil McTaggart and lived at 13 Dennyholm Street, Kilbirnie, by the mill on the site of what is now Dennyholm Wynd, Her Mother was Mary Jeffrey who married Andrew Stevenson, whose family were coal merchants in the town.

There is a family story that Neil was a twin with a brother Malcolm but I have not been able to prove that from any government records.

Jeanie had a very large family, including my Great Grandfather Neil as well as a daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth married Samuel Cairns and two of their children are sitting on Jean´s lap. Jean was red haired and used to walk from the Dennyholm out to Glengarnock barefoot to visit some of her children

Jean died in 1927. I estimate this photo to have been taken around 1923.

 

A Description of Kilbirnie from 1837

This came from a link held by a site called Maybole.org, which seems to be no longer available. 

Including the names:

 

CLERGY
Ferguson, Rev. James (reformed presbytery),  Hill cottage
Urquhart, Rev. Robert (established church),  Manse

ACADEMIES AND SCHOOLS
Miller, James,  Bank
Parochial School, James Muir, master
Stewart, James,  Dennyholm

BLEACHERS AND THREAD MANUFACTURERS
Knox, William & James,  Water side

BOOT AND SHOE MAKERS
Allan, George,  Bridge st
Allan, James,  Newtown
Allan, John,  Cockran st
Anderson, William,  Cockran st
Irvine, David,  Mill st
Sinclair, John,  Bridge st
Steel, John,  Bridge st

CARTWRIGHTS
Barclay, James,  Bridge st
Crawford, Archibald,  Cockran st
Dickie, William,  Newtown

COTTON MANUFACTURERS  (by power)
Watson, David, Kilbirnie Mill – Matthew Shanks, manager

FLAX SPINNERS
Wilson & Jamesons,  Garnock mill

FLESHERS
Orr, Robert,  Bridge st
Patton, Robert,  Bridge st
Shedden, William,  Bridge st

GROCERS & SPIRIT DEALERS
Allan, John,  Bridge st
Brodie, James,  Mill st
Fife, Robert (& agent),  bridge st
Fife, William (tea dealer),  Main st
Law, John,  Bridge st
Mackie, James,  Bridge st
Patton, Robert,  Bridge st
Shedden, William,  Bridge st
Walker, James,  Bridge st

STONE MASONS
Knox, Robert,  Bridge st
Russell, Allan,  Bridge st

TAILORS
Bryan, Hugh,  Main st
Clark, Robert,  Bridge st

VINTERS
Archibald, Elizabeth,  Bridge st
Crawford, Robert,  Bridge st
Durrock, Alexander,  Bridge st
Love, William,  Bridge st
McCormick, Janet,  Main st
Orr, Robert,  Bridge st
Walker, John,  Mill st

MISCELLANEOUS
Barclay, Peter,  joiner,  Cockran st
Baxter, Daniel,  sexton
Beech, Allan,  tinsmith,  Hamilton st
Crawford, Rachael, draper,  Bridge st
Dickie, George, miller,  Nether mill
Graham, James,  cabinet maker,  Main st
Howie, Andrew,  lime burner,  Auchinleck
Jameson, James,  coal merchant,  Lade side
McCosh, John,  baker,  Main st
Montgomerie, Skeoh (?), rope maker,  Dennyholm
Orr, Robt, earthenware dealer,  Bridge st
Pebles, James, wheel maker,  Bridge st
Walker, William,  surgeon,  Main st

CARRIERS
To Glasgow, James Allan and James Allan jnr, every Thursday.

Mary (Maria) McTaggart 1887 – 1907

Maria McTaggart  was a sister of my Great Grandfather Neil McTaggart. She  died of a lung condition. 

It seems the family were living out at “the Den” which was a little village called Barkip. It no longer exists but you can still see traces of it on the Beith to Dalry Road. It was disbanded in the early 20th Century and the people were moved to other locations such as the Longbar, Rows, Beith and Dalry. It had a Church, Bank, Post Office and school.

Janet Hay and John Andrews are  also mentioned on the certificate

Mary – Death Certificate

 

Knox Institute, Kilbirnie

 

It is great news that the Knox Institute in Kilbirnie will be restored.

Here is a picture of the man who built it, Robert William Knox:

The original portrait was last seen in the “Stables Museum” underneath the Walker Hall in the 1990s. I have been trying to get information about what happened to the stuff that was in there. I have asked North Ayrshire Council but Im not getting any replies except to say they are looking into it and that was a few years ago now.

There is also a lamp which was donated to the town by RW Knox and it sat upon one of the bridges. Last seen also in the Stables museum.

The River Garnock at Grahamston Avenue #poem

Flowing to a land of peace 
We watch her gentle stream
Old Churches, schools ravished by time
Reflect her gentle beams.

Starry nights and sun-filled days
Upon her granite poised
Where children played upon the bridge
O´er shadowed now with noise.

Yet peace she brings with every stone
Where faltering birds do nest
And otters with their children come
To take their peace and rest.

In her divine appointed flow 
Fear leaves no saddened thoughts 
For change is named upon her brow 
With no heightened sense of loss.

And by her banks sweet angels flow
Attending to their wards
while we stand upon the bridge alone
With only darker thoughts.

Yet sweet repose and Love are here
For all who hear her song
Far away from bills to pay
And every sense of wrong.

Her gentle flowing higher streams
Do guide us in our thoughts
to a peaceful place of mind
flowing o´er the darker rocks. 

´Tis good for us to stop and hear
Her gentle peaceful flow
While Angels pass with quieter thoughts
Allowing us to grow.