Uncategorized – Kilbirnie, Local History and Cultural Things

Glengarnock Gleanings (April 1920) | Colvilles Staff Magazine

Original April 1920 issue of Colville’s Magazine featuring the Glengarnock Gleanings section. Includes a profile and portrait of Hugh Munro, a portrait of juvenile champion Andrew McDowal, along with local social events, football activity, community gatherings, and reports from the Works. Fully transcribed and preserved below – original scans are above (pp. 67–68).

The issue also features a humorous illustrated piece titled “Useless!”, drawn by Jas. Holmes of Glengarnock, reflecting everyday workplace life and humour of the period.

Mr. Hugh Munro – long-serving employee at Glengarnock Works, featured with portrait and profile
Mr. Andrew McDowal – Juvenile Champion, Scottish Inter-Works Sports (1919), shown in portrait
Illustration: “Useless!” – humorous drawing depicting two men in a washroom setting drawn by Jas. Holmes, Glengarnock

Glengarnock Gleanings (January 1920) | Colvilles Staff Magazine

Original January 1920 issue of Colville’s Magazine Glengarnock Gleanings section. Includes local news, football results, YMCA activities, and a historical report of a tragic accident. Fully transcribed and preserved below – original scan is above:

Esther Brisco and Neil McTaggart

Neil and Esther McTaggart – taken at Jerome’s Photography studio Glasgow 1938 to give to the kids before they went to war. They lived at the Longbar and before that Schoolwynd, Kilbirnie.

New Radio Archive about Local Heritage

I have started a new audio archive with many of my recordings about local history, South West Scotland and other things I have made over the years. You can hear it by clicking on the menu at the side of the site – I’m still testing it and adding new content. I am aware that right now everything is lumped together.

As I add more content, it will sort itself out.

On mobile devices, it is appearing at the bottom of the page.

Joseph.

New Audio Book – St Brigids Catholic Church Kilbirnie

You can access it here:

Audio Book about the Knox family

I have added an audio version to my book about the Knox Family of KIlbirnie.

You can hear it on the page, here.

Folklore and Mental Health in the Scottish Highlands

This is another document I wrote as part of my University course – it is called:

Away with the Fairies: Folklore and Mental Health in the Scottish Highlands

Continuity and Change in Scottish Death and Burial Customs, 1875–2025

This is a research document I prepared for my University Course about Culture and Heritage. I researched “Continuity and Change in Scottish Death and Burial Customs, 1875–2025”. I used headstones in cemeteries in Kilbirnie as examples, as well as family stories. There’s pictures in the appendices.

Click Here for the Document

Random Old Cemetery PIcs

I was down in Kilbirnie this week and took some random pictures of graves in the Kilbirnie Cemeteries:

Old Knox Grave behind the kirk. I will add these to the Knox Section.

Francis Cowan – a 20 year old KIlled in a freak accident in the Steel Works

Bell/McKelvie/McTaggart

Crawford Mausoleum

McKelvie, Bell, McTaggart

Francis Cowan, 1920

Crawford Mausoleum

Lord and Lady Crawford statues

Robert Knox, Agnes Barclay

George, Janet, Robert, Hugh Knox

William Knox, Jean Knox

RW Knox Monument

Maureen Dempsey Higgins

Random picture of a lady I knew in Dublin in the 1990s called Maureen Dempsey Higgins.You can read the life story of her brother Charlie, growing up in Dublin here