Historic Monthly Meeting Reports 2014 to 2019

A wonderful collection of over 700 photographs by William McMurray were the subject of a fascinating talk given by David Steel at the Stewartry U3A April meeting.

The collection, which was only found in 2012 after the death of McMurray’s daughter, is treasure trove to local historians. The photos, on glass plates, date mainly from the period 1905-14 and show Gatehouse of Fleet and its people.

William McMurray (1882-1966) was the postman, Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths in Gatehouse, and also a semi-professional photographer who captured daily life as well weddings and special occasions. Examples are the Macdonald brothers in their blacksmith shop in Digby Street; the Ayrshire Yeomanry exercising in Ann Street prior to the outbreak of war; and the McMichael family (who had a butchers shop) including the young boy who became famous for groundbreaking research into heart failure, Prof Sir John McMichael.

Studying the photos gives insights into the times portrayed; the dress at weddings – not a kilt in sight; the splendid vegetable garden at the Murray Arms Hotel, and a table set for a celebratory meal.

David has spent many hours scrutinising the plates to tease out clues to the identity of those pictured and has made contact with some of their descendants to fill in the gaps. He is investigating the events that are recorded and has searched the vehicle registration records for cars shown to establish their make and ownership.

Anyone interested in seeing the photographs can find them on the Gatehouse Folk website. As well as putting a name to a face, people may help identify locations, to save a little piece of Gatehouse’s history before the memories are gone.

Stewartry U3A’s next meeting will be at 2pm on Tuesday 24th May at the parish church in Castle Douglas, when Maureen Kerr will talk about St Kilda, Art and Landscape. Members and visitors alike are always welcome.

In Ruthwell the first savings bank in the world was founded by the Rev. Henry Duncan in 1810.

At the March meeting of the Stewartry U3A Mhairi Hastings of the Ruthwell Museum gave a talk about the Rev Henry Duncan who was not only founder of the savings bank movement but was also a geologist, antiquarian and publisher.

It was while he was minister at Ruthwell that he founded the first savings bank which took initial small deposits from the ordinary working folk who could not open bank accounts with the other banks. The funds which they deposited were taken to be placed on account at the British Linen Bank in Dumfries where a slightly higher rate of interest was available than was paid to the small savers in the bank. Mhairi showed a photograph of the Ruthwell Parish Bank money box in which the money was kept and which for security required three keys held by different people to open it. Depositors came from some distance away but soon savings banks were opened in other parts of Scotland following the example of Ruthwell.

The Reverend Duncan was also responsible for the restoration of the Ruthwell Cross, sister of the Bewcastle Cross, and he was the first to find early footprints in sandstone and which can now be seen in the Dumfries museum. In 1809 he established the Dumfries and Galloway Courier where he was editor for seven years and later in 1843 he founded the Dumfries and Galloway Standard. 1843 was the year of the Disruption in the Church of Scotland at which time the Reverend Duncan decided to leave the Kirk and become one of the founders of the Free Church even though he had earlier been Moderator of the Church of Scotland.

The next meeting of the StewartryU3A will be held on Tuesday 26 April at 2.00pm in the Parish Church, Castle Douglas when David Steele will give a talk and show photographs of Old Gatehouse taken by William McMurray.

Nic Coombey, Community and Learning Officer of the Galloway and South Ayrshire Biosphere Team, was fortunately able to stand in at short notice for a colleague and address the February meeting of the Stewartry U3A on the impact of the changing environment on the plants and wildlife in South West Scotland.

He said that there was no doubt that the climate was changing and measurements showed that in Scotland over the past 20 to 30 years, average temperatures had risen and it had also been wetter. It could be expected that this warmer and wetter trend would continue. The rise in sea temperature and rising sea levels are having an effect on wildlife in the Solway area and the much more regular storms are having a major impact on sandy beaches. Nic also pointed out that the waters of the Solway tend to be colder in winter and hotter in summer than other estuaries due to the wide tidal range and the number of rivers discharging into the estuary.

These changes are affecting the wildlife – cod are now moving further north away from the area but sea bass are moving into the area. Pacific oysters are now regularly found on the shores due to the warming seas. In turn the bird populations of the Solway area are affected by the change in feedstocks.

Plant life around the Solway is also changing with many plants having moved north into the Solway area as the northern edge of their territory. This is especially so on the warmer, south facing coast of Dumfries and Galloway. Nic showed examples such as Common Cord Grass which is spreading rapidly, Japanese Wire Weed in the sea, Sea Bindweed growing in the sand dunes, Sea Holly, Sea Radish, Sea Kale and others. On the other hand the Oyster Plant which is normally found in the Northern Isles and Scandinavia is becoming rarer.

Nic also explained his particular area of interest – the Galloway and South Ayrshire Biosphere. The area of South West Scotland from Ayr to Dumfries with the exception of the Rhinns is a UNESCO designated Biosphere in view of its important natural heritage. The aim of the designation is to ensure that residents of the area and visitors alike are aware of the significance of the natural heritage of the area and people and businesses are encouraged to sign up and support this special area through lifelong learning, nature conservation and sustainable development. It is hoped to develop a passion for living in the area in a way that benefits both people and the natural environment.

The next meeting of the Stewartry U3A will be held on Tuesday 22 March at 2.00pm in the Parish Church Hall, Castle Douglas when Mhairi Hastings will talk about Rev. Henry Duncan, Pioneer of the Savings Bank Movement.

Jayne Baldwin, author, journalist and bookshop owner from Wigtown gave a talk at the January meeting of the Stewartry U3A on The Final Flight of Elsie Mackay, Galloway’s Aviatrix.
Elsie Mackay was the daughter of Lord Inchcape of Glenapp, Ballantrae. She led an exciting if short life. She was often seen speeding around in her Rolls Royce and gained her flying licence in 1922, one of the first women to do so. Against the wishes of her father she eloped and married an actor and then became a film actress herself. However her marriage was annulled after five years.

In 1919 Alcock and Brown flew the Atlantic from West to East and the challenge after that was to fly the other way but this was fraught with difficulties due to the prevailing West winds and the possibility of fog and disorientating conditions in the area of Newfoundland.

Elsie Mackay saw this flight as a challenge and made plans to be the first to complete the crossing. She purchased a Stinson Detroiter plane in America which was shipped back to Brooklands. She planned to make the flight with Captain Walter Hinchcliffe, a First World War flying ace. They tried to keep their intentions secret especially from Lord Inchcape as Elsie knew he would not approve. The two of them along with another pilot,based themselves near Cranwell Airport from where they intended to make their flight. They made their preparations and the plane was loaded up with as much fuel as could be stowed on board. On 13 March Elsie Mackay and Hinchcliffe took off in a snowstorm. People even then were unaware of who was on board.

Nothing more was seen of them! Some weeks later however wreckage from the undercarriage was found on the Donegal coast. A memorial stained glass window to Elsie Mackay was installed by Lord Inchcape to his daughter in the church at Glenapp.

The next meeting of the Stewartry U3A will be held on Tuesday 23 February in the Parish Church, Castle Douglas when Mark Pollitt will talk about Wildlife in a changing environment.

At the Annual General meeting of the Stewartry U3A, attended by over 100 members, the Chairman Dr Howard Brown reported on a very successful year with an increase in membership, more interest groups and an innovation in the year of visits to places of interest. These visits proved to be very popular and it is intended to arrange further visits in the current year.

Eileen Johnson was appointed to the committee of the U3A and an updated constitution was approved by members.

Following the formalities of the Annual General Meeting, Professor Donald Cowell gave a most interesting talk entitled Kirkcudbright Jail in the 19^th century.

This history began when a brown box of papers was discovered in the storeroom of the Stewartry Museum and volunteer Professor Cowell was asked to put them on the computer. It turned out that these were a treasure trove of papers relating to Kirkcudbright jail from 1790. It included the complete list of jailers and some fascinating documents which highlighted the conditions in the jail and the effects of the Prison Reform Act.

Originally prisoners were a mix of criminals, debtors and vagrants, including children. Imprisonment wasn’t as common a punishments as it is today, with banishment, transportation, the stocks or hanging being more common. Prisons in Scotland were also a lot better than those in England, for example Kirkcudbright had 22 “apartments”, day rooms, a sick room, internal plumbing and an apartment for the keeper. Considerably better than the conditions for the rest of the population. The prison was started in 1812 and designed and built by Thomas Brown – the overseer of prisons for Scotland – with some help from Thomas Stevenson (the father of Robert Louis Stevenson) who was doing some consultancy on the quay in Tongland. The prison was described as “an asymmetrical toy fort but not at all frivolous” which to those who know it is a very apt description.

However, conditions changed when the first Inspector of Prisons Frederic Hill came to visit. He had some interesting assessments in that the prisoners “got too much food, were too comfortable, had no discipline and were never called to worship”. He also said “there is little crime in this town but a lot of lunatics” (14 in the prison at that time). There were also plenty of poachers who were not averse to spending their winters in the prison, with frequents visits, clean bedding and lots of food.

This all changed with the 1839 Prison Reform Act which made sure that the prisoners were not idle, had a better diet, were paid to work and were prepared for life outside prison. Many of the prisoners much preferred this style and some even asked to come back once they were released. The types of crimes they had committed would have been theft; trespass; poaching game and fish; sheep stealing and drunkenness and riotous conduct. In prison they were expected to learn a trade, for example tailoring or shoemaking. In the 1850s the conditions harshened with punishments such as the treadmill and the “screw” which consisted of a handle attached to a weight which could be tightened or loosened to make it more or less backbreaking – hence the term “screws” for prison warders.

In the 1870s prison management and funding was centralised and in 1883 a new prison opened in Dumfries and the prisoner and warders were moved to it. This was a loss to the community to whom it provided benefits such as employment, the supply of goods and transport. The prison governor’s house was turned into the Catholic priest’s house, a chapel and hall built in the prison yard, which are there to this day. The prison and courthouse are currently for sale with the most likely outcome being a development into apartments, maybe even as luxurious as their eighteenth century equivalent.

The first meeting of the Stewartry U3A in 2016 will be held on Tuesday 26 January at 2.00pm in the Parish Church, Castle Douglas when Jayne Baldwin will talk about the final flight of the Wigtownshire aviatrix Elsie Mackay. New members will be most welcome.

At the October meeting of the Stewartry U3A, Ivor Waddell gave a talk on Billy Marshall, gypsy and tinker, who is buried in Kirkcudbright cemetery and his connection with the Galloway Levellers.

He said that there was much myth and legend surrounding the life of Billy Marshall and especially concerning his age which is stated on his gravestone to be 120 years. There is no doubt that he lived to a great age and was something of a local celebrity such that there was some argument as to who would lay him to rest when he died in 1792. There was oral evidence from one family who said that he had been known to three generations and in the Old Statistical Account it is stated that he was of great age.

It was said that he fought for William of Orange but deserted from the army on many occasions possibly to be able to attend the annual fair at Kelton Hill like many other horse and cattle dealers, gypsies and tinkers. The many stories about Billy Marshall, elaborated over time, described him variously as a tinker, robber, smuggler and even murderer and that he had many wives and children. He was also thought to have been one of the leaders of the Galloway Levellers.

In the 1720s some landowners in Galloway stopped the rental of their land and enclosed it with dykes in order to breed cattle. The evicted farmers and farm workers protested against this change by pulling down the dykes. There were up to 1,000 levellers and various actions were taken against them, some being jailed and others deported. The revolt culminated with a confrontation with dragoons in 1724.

It is likely that the situation was aggravated by religious differences between the lairds, many of whom were Roman Catholic, and the farmworkers who were Protestant.

John Mcquistan thank Ivor for his talk on an intriguing account of local history.

At the first of the autumn meetings of the Stewartry U3A, Rab Thompson gave a talk firstly on his career as a “sparks” followed by a talk about the RNLI.

After attending the Leith Nautical College, Rab joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service where he served for 30 years. On return to Kirkcudbright he became Harbour Master and is now the Chairman of local branch of the RNLI. He described the difference that radio communication had brought about when first available in the early twentieth century for contact with vessels at sea, for navigation and knowledge of weather conditions. When he first went to sea the radio officer or “sparks” was in charge of all communication with ships through either morse code or voice communication. The advent of satellite communication was a step change in communication and now even internet access is available on board ships. This has meant that “sparks” are not now essential and with global maritime communication morse code is not now used or even taught.

Rab had joined the Kirkcudbright Lifeboat while still at school and when he returned to Kirkcudbright he became the operations manager for some ten years. While in some countries the lifeboat service is provided by government, in the UK the RNLI is a charitable organisation. Eighty four percent of funds raised are for boats and equipment, thirteen per cent is spent on fundraising and only three per cent on administration. RNLI has been in existence for 191 years and the local branch for 153 years. The present Kirkcudbright lifeboat station was opened in 1892 at which time lifeboats did not have engines and it was only in 1928 that a lifeboat with an engine was based in Kirkcudbright.The present lifeboat is an Atlantic 85 rigid inflatable boat.

Lifeboat cover in the Solway Firth is provided by a number of RNLI and private lifeboats on both sides of the Firth and all are manned by volunteers other than some crew members of the larger lifeboats. Before alarms and mobile phones were available the crew in Kirkcudbright were summoned by the firing of maroons which meant that the whole town knew that the lifeboat was in action –but now people are no longer aware.

After questions, Helen Henderson thanked Rab for his entertaining and informative talk.

Stewartry U3A was entertained by Janet Ross-Mills at their May monthly meeting in Castle Douglas. Her topic was Sir John Ross, the local man from Wigtownshire who carried out three arctic expeditions to find the North West Passage. The second of these involved the discovery of the magnetic north pole by his nephew James Clark Ross who accompanied him on his expeditions and later explored Antarctica.

Sir John was born in Inch in Wigtownshire in 1777 and joined the navy at the age of 10 on the death of his parents. He served until 1818 when he was commissioned to try and find the North West Passage. His first expedition was un-successful and he returned to Stranraer where he built North West Castle, now a local hotel. His second expedition was sponsored by the gin magnate Felix Booth and used one of the very early steam powered ships and did find much of the Passage. After this they abandoned their ship the Victory and walked for 16 months across the ice back to a whaling station where no one believed their story, as they had assumed they were all dead after that length of time.

Janet illustrated the talk with historic maps and pictures and showed us a painting she has commissioned of his arrival back in Stranraer to a mutiny by the crew and gin-fuelled riots. After his last expedition he retired to Scotland and died in 1856. By then he had faded into comparative anonymity until Janet started to research his history having come across a portrait which looked very much like her father and made her assume that she was related to Sir John.

At the April meeting of the Stewartry U3A, the first to be held in the Parish Church, Castle Douglas, Constable Simon Kennedy talked to members on the importance of Computer Security and Safety.

Most members now regularly use computers for communicating and browsing, ordering goods and in some cases for online banking. Simon highlighted the staggering growth in social media and the use made of it not only by young people but by companies, political parties and many other organisations.

Simon stressed the need to be aware of the risks involved when providing personal data online, ordering goods and transferring money. Personal data is stored by organisations and on social media sites and can be used for many purposes; identity theft is a major risk. He said to look out for phishing and inadvertently giving personal data to unauthorised persons and how difficult it is to avoid receiving spam mail. It is essential to avoid clicking onto anything that is suspicious and that attachments to suspicious emails should never be opened as they may contain viruses. However it is possible for viruses to be in emails themselves and the installation of virus protection software was important.

Simon also pointed out that all computer users leave a digital footprint even if they think that they have deleted data and their browsing record from their computer. The information is held in the computer hard drive and by the service provider.

He concluded by saying that the most important thing was to use security settings and always confirm that a site is genuine before logging onto it.

John McQuistan thanked Simon for a most helpful and instructive talk