Happy New Year

Kilmarnock & District History Group sends the very best wishes for a successful and prosperous 2012 to all its members and all who visit its website.  Our 2012 programme begins  on Tuesday 10 January in Kilmarnock College Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm.  The topic is "The History of the London Bus" and our speaker will be Professor Danny Gorman.  Come along and join us if you haven't been before.

Kilmarnock Town Trail

Watch out for the Kilmarnock Town Trail being added to our 'People, Buildings, Landmarks & Events' page soon.
Anyone wishing to buy a hard copy, please contact us at info@kilmarnockhistory.co.uk

Lecture Programme for the New Year 2012

Just in case you've mislaid your syllabus, here's the programme of lectures from January to March 2012

2012
10 January Professor Danny Gorman - The History of London Buses

24 January John Burnett - Crowds in 19th Century Ayrshire

7 February Professor Dauvit Broun - New Light on Wallace & The Declaration of Arbroath

21 February Dr Ian Matheson - The Turning Point ; Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia 1812

6 March Dr June Neilson - The Romans In Scotland

20 March Bill Fitzpatrick The Titanic – The Beloved, The Damned & The Forgotten

History of Pharmacy

After our excellent talk by George Watson on the history of pharmacy, some of you might be interested in doing a bit of follow-up reading on the subject.
You could do no better than start your search at the website of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and in particular at the section describing the history of pharmacy.  It can be found at

http://www.rpharms.com/about-pharmacy/history-of-pharmacy.asp

Victoria to Viagra

Our final talk before the Christmas break will be by retired pharmacist George Watson from Irvine, who will be speaking about the history of pharmacy. It takes place on Tuesday 13 December.  As usual, his talk will be in our normal venue of the Lecture Theatre of Kilmarnock College and will begin at 7.30pm; although it is advisable to be there early to be sure of a good seat.

Happy St Andrew's Day

KDHG extends best wishes to all members and website visitors on Scotland's Patron Saint's day.
Of course, St Andrew is also Patron Saint of Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Sicily, Romania, Philippines, fishermen, golfers, and a few more no doubt....

HMS Dasher

Our talk on Tuesday 29 November is by John Steele, who is speaking to us about the history of HMS Dasher and its unexplained sinking on 27 March 1943.  John has spoken to us before, a few years ago now,  on this topic, but he has apparently uncovered more information about the ship and her tragic end.  He also believes that one of the bodies from the accident was used in the deception known as "The Man Who Never Was"; when a body was put into the sea by submarine in 1943 off the coast near Huelva in Spain; in an attempt to fool the German High Command about the Allied landings in Italy.  This operation is also referred to as Operation Mincemeat.
The following article makes interesting reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mincemeat#HMS_Dasher_connection

We look forward to an informative evening on Tuesday

History Group Works with Kilmarnock Pupils

Window-gazing in Kilmarnock town centre recently got a whole lot more interesting, as some empty spaces have now been filled up with bright, modern artwork.
Catching the eyes of shoppers are colourful graffiti boards brightening up shop windows at the Johnnie Walker Bond in Strand Street.
The boards were created by children who attended dance and graffiti art sessions in James Hamilton Academy during the  summer holidays. The P4-S6 boys and girls worked with artists Brian McFeely and Chris Young, from Edinburgh-based MS Creative.  Prior to the workshops, the children had been taken around Kilmarnock's Historical Town Trail by Graham Boyd of Kilmarnock & District History Group.  Graham provided most of the information for themes which were later developed at art and dance classes.
Pupils attended two dance classes and one art workshop each day and designed t-shirts as well as a range of large mdf backboards featuring their graffiti art.
East Ayrshire Council Dance Motivator Zara Smith said: “The idea behind it was to create art which reflected the history and heritage of Kilmarnock in a modern and exciting way that the children would enjoy. As well as the artwork, the participants learned dances to go along with the hip hop and graffiti culture”.
Councillor Jim Roberts, Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning, said: “This very popular summer school’s aim was to reflect the rich heritage of the local community and to express this through art and dance.
“The graffiti artworks set in traditional shop windows highlight the connection between Kilmarnock’s past and the culture of today’s young people in the town, which is as rich and vibrant as ever.”
Councillor Bobby McDill, Spokesperson for Delivering Community Regeneration, said: “The young people’s work is fantastic and shows they are talented not only in dance, but also in art. The graffiti boards really brighten up the spaces and will look great in the run-up to Christmas. I’m delighted to see such an innovative idea in place”.

The project was co-ordinated by East Ayrshire Council’s Creative Minds Team and supported by Historic Scotland and Heritage Lottery Fund, through Kilmarnock Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme/Townscape Heritage Initiative and by Kilmarnock & District History Group.

Kilmarnock's Wartime Industry

Last night's talk in the Dick Institute by Stuart Wilson attracted an audience of around 50 despite the horrible weather.  He spoke about the activities in 3 particular companies;Andrew Barclay & Son; Glenfield & Kennedy and Blackwood& Morton (BMK).  Stuart paid tribute to the contribution to the war effort made by these firms and especially to the part played by the women who served in WINS (Women's Industrial National Service).
There were many interesting contributions from members of the audience, including several from a delightful lady who had actually worked in the "Glen" during WW II.  In describing her efforts to operate what she described as a"terrible machine", she added with a smile; "It's where I learned to swear!"

Werner von Braun

Another excellent talk last night, with almost full lecture theatre.  Colin Barbour's presentation on the history of rocket flight from V2 German rocket to American moon landing in July 1969 was first class.

Here is a link to the Tom Lehrer song of which Colin played a brief part during his talk .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_849563&v=TjDEsGZLbio&src_vid=QEJ9HrZq7Ro&feature=iv

Yes! It IS rocket science.

Our speaker on Tuesday 15 November is one of our own members, Colin Barbour, who teaches Physics at St.Joseph's Academy in Kilmarnock.  The title of his talk is, "From von Braun to the Moon Landing.".  He will be telling us about the scientists and engineers who developed the V1 and V2 rockets in Nazi Germany and how the personnel and technologies of these projects made their way to the USA and formed the basis of the American programme to land a man on the Moon.

As always, come early to be sure of a good seat.

Rugby XI. Information request.

Do any sporting historians out there have any knowledge of Rugby XI from Kilmarnock?
They seem to have existed between 1889 & 1910, being the first Ayrshire team to reach the Scottish Junior Cup final. They played at Rugby Park and may have been Kilmarnock reserves, but this is not clear.
I do know that the line up for the final, which was lost to Maryhill in 1900, was; McLung, Robertson, Banks, Higgins, Johnstone, Woodburn, McIntyre, Parker, Green, Graham & Aitchison.

If you have any information, please contact me on members@kilmarnockhistory.co.uk Thanks

Kilmarnock's Wartime Industries

An aerial view of the Glenfield & Kennedy Works, Kilmarnock (date unknown)

Our President, Stuart Wilson, is giving an illustrated talk on the work carried out during World War II by some of Kilmarnock's main manufacturers, including BMK and Glenfield & Kennedy.  There will be an opportunity after his talk for members of the audience to make their own contributions to this topic.  Admission is free but tickets should be obtaineds in advance from the Dick Institute museum service. (Contact:- stanley.sarsfield@east-ayrshire.gov.uk )

The talk will take place on Thursday 24 November 2011, upstairs in the Dick Institute Museum at 6pm.

Early Origins of Football in Scotland

Football may be older than we think. Evidence uncovered at the National Library of Scotland has suggested that Scots nobles were playing with 'fut ballis' back in the 15th century!

Scottish Football Museum curator Richard McBrearty discovered a manuscript of accounts from King James IV that showed he paid two shillings for a bag of 'fut ballis' as early as 11 April, 1497. The accounts of small football matches taking place in the grounds of castles suggest the game in its current form is much older than officially documented, and may have originated in Scotland! Several diaries at the National Library of Scotland describe the games played for royals, which featured smaller pitches and teams of ten.

Another game we gave the world.  So that makes three(at least):- curling, golf and now football.

Dumfries House

Charlotte Rostek from Dumfries House will be speaking to us on Tuesday 1 November 2011.

Dumfries House is a Palladian country house, located within a large estate, around 3 km west of Cumnock. It was built in the 1750s by John Adam and Robert Adam for William Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries, and inherited in due course by the Marquesses of Bute, in which family it remained until 2007. It is notable for having preserved much of its original 18th-century furniture in situ, some of which was specially commissioned for the house from Thomas Chippendale.

Old Doocot, Dumfries House Estate

HMS Dasher

It has taken 68 years, but at last relatives of those who died in one of the worst British naval disasters might soon be able to discover where the bodies are buried.

Lawyers acting for North Ayrshire Council have just agreed to start the legal moves which, campaigners believe, will solve one of the longest lasting and painful mysteries of the Second World War.  A formal request will be made to the courts asking for the excavation of a patch of ground at Ardrossan cemetery in Ayrshire.

This excavation should allow archaeologists to peel away the topsoil from an area which is thought to contain the bodies of more than 60 British seamen – sailors who were dumped in the unmarked pit, apparently because the Royal Navy was desperate to keep the true story of their deaths a secret.
The sailors had been part of the complement of 555 serving on HMS Dasher. The Royal Navy vessel had started life as a freighter, but was hastily converted into an aircraft carrier during the early part of the war.

HMS Dasher sank suddenly in the Firth of Clyde in March 1943, ripped apart by an explosion which may well have been caused by a fuel leak and a dropped cigarette.
The loss of 379 of the 555 crew still represents the second-worst naval disaster in home waters. It is only surpassed in scale by the loss of the 833 men in the sinking of the Royal Oak at Scapa Flow in 1939.

Thirteen of the bodies which were brought ashore were buried with military honours at Ardrossan cemetery and another seven were buried at Greenock. However, dozens more which were washed up along the Ayrshire coast, were apparently taken away by the Navy and never seen again.

Members of the History Group may recall David Craig, speaking about the Arctic Convoys on 18 October this year, stating that HMS Dasher was one of the escort vessels protecting Murmansk Convoy JW53 which left Loch Ewe on  15 February 1943. The flagship was the cruiser HMS Belfast and the convoy's other escorts included the cruisers HMS Cumberland,  HMS Sheffield and 15 destroyers. David was then serving as the Third Radio Officer on SS Dover Hill.
 
As the convoy sailed northwards it encountered heavy winds. Six merchant ships were damaged and diverted to Iceland, along with HMS Sheffield and the armed trawler HMT Lord Middleton.  A Royal Navy flotilla led by the cruiser HMS Scylla relieved the original escorts off Iceland.  However, during the storm HMS Dasher had suffered engine trouble and returned to the Firth of Clyde, leaving JW 53 without air cover.  The convoy reached the Kola Inlet on 27 February 1943.

Royal Society Archive

The Royal Society has today(Wed. 26 Oct. 2011) announced that its world-famous historical journal archive – which includes the first ever peer-reviewed scientific journal – has been made permanently free to access online.

Around 60,000 historical scientific papers are accessible via a fully searchable online archive, with papers published more than 70 years ago now becoming freely available.


The Royal Society is the world’s oldest scientific publisher, with the first edition of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society appearing in 1665. Henry Oldenburg – Secretary of the Royal Society and first Editor of the publication – ensured that it was “licensed by the council of the society, being first reviewed by some of the members of the same”, thus making it the first ever peer-reviewed journal

Arctic Convoys

Last night, Graham Boyd and I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with our last speaker, David Craig, at his home.  He showed us many artefacts and photos which he had been unable to bring along to his talk.  He was also kind enough to show us his medals (both UK and Russian) and shared with us many stories which he had been unable to relate during his talk due to pressures of time.
A totally enthralling evening.  Thanks David.

Arctic Medal.For many years survivors of Arctic Convoys lobbied British Governments for the striking of a special Arctic Medal to mark their service in those waters in WW2. It all fell on deaf bureaucratic ears, the response being The Atlantic Star Medal covered such service.

Atlantic Star 1939-1945.

Recently the British Ministry of Defence has created an Arctic Star Emblem for all who served north of the Arctic Circle ie above 66 degrees 30 minutes North, for at least 24 hours in WW2.
This Emblem may be worn on the ribbon of either the 1939-45 Star, or the Atlantic Star.

Arctic Star Emblem.

The design concept of the Arctic Emblem was agreed with Arctic veterans’ representatives. It is a small metal star, mainly enamelled white, with a red dot in the centre and above it a scroll with the words “The Arctic” in gold letters on a blue background. The star represents the Polar Star, the white colouring symbolises ice and the red centre represents the field of the flags of the USSR and Norway.

Arctic Convoys - World War II

Our speaker on Tuesday 18 October is David Craig from Kilmarnock, who will be talking to us about his experiences serving in the Merchant Navy during WW II and the terrible conditions endured by those risking their lives to ensure supplies reached our allies in Russia.
If you want to learn more about these Murmansk Convoys, you will find information at the following websites.

http://www.naval-history.net/WW2CampaignsRussianConvoys.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_convoys_of_World_War_II


If you don't get to Kilmarnock College early, you might have to stand!!  Almost a full house last time.

The Jacobites - Reading List

For those of you wanting to dig a little bit deeper into the study of the Jacobite Cause, following last night's stimulating lecture by Barbara Graham, here is a short booklist kindly provided by Barbara.  It is fairly comprehensive and covers a much wider time period than that discussed by Barbara at last night's meeting.

The Jacobites, 1688-1788

Selective booklist

Overview

 Molly Davidson            The Jacobites [Geddes & Grosset, 2008]

Bruce Lenman                        The Jacobite Cause [Richard Drew Publishing, 1986]

1745 Association        A Jacobite Library http://www.1745association.org.uk/Reading%20List.htm

 Clans

 Tom Devine                Clanship to Crofters’ War [Manchester U. Press, 1994]

Bruce Lenman                        The Jacobite Clans of the Great Glen,  [Scottish Cultural Press, 1995]

 Jacobites and Europe

 Frank McLynn             France and the Jacobite Rising of 1745   [Edinburgh U. Press, 1981]

Daniel Szechi              The Jacobites: Britain and Europe, 1688-1788    [Manchester U. Press, 1994]

Glorious Revolution – Anne’s reign

 John Prebble               Glencoe [Penguin, 1973]

Edward Vallance         The Glorious Revolution,1688: Britain's Fight for Liberty.  [Abacus, 2007]

H. & B. van der Zee     1688: Revolution in the Family [Viking, 1988]

 James VIII

 Edward Corp               The Stuart Courts in Exile [The 1745 Association, 2005]

Peggy Miller                 James [George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1974]

 1708, 1715 and 1719 Risings

 John Baynes               The Jacobite Rising of 1715 [The History Book Club, 1970]

C. Sinclair-Stevenson   Inglorious Rebellion [Faber 2010]

Daniel Szechi              1715: the Great Jacobite Rebellion  [Yale U. Press, c2006]

1745 Rising

 1745 Association                    No Quarter Given [1745 Association, 1984]

National Trust for Scotland     Culloden [NTS, 2010]

Murray Pittock                         The myth of the Jacobite clans: the Jacobite Army in 1745                                         [Edinburgh U Press, 2009]

John Prebble                           Culloden [Pimlico, 2002]

K. Tomasson & F. Buist         Battles of the ’45 [Pan, 1967]

Charles Edward Stuart

 David Daiches                        Charles Edward Stuart [Thames & Hudson, 1973]

Winifred Duke             In the Steps of Bonnie Prince Charlie  [Rich & Cowan, 1953]

Margaret Forster         The Rash Adventurer [Grafton, 1975]

Frank McLynn             Bonnie Prince Charlie: Charles Edward Stuart [Pimlico, 2003]

Tonight! First Meeting of the 2011-2012 Session

Tonight (Tuesday 4 October 2011) sees our first meeting for the new session.  Subscriptions for the year (£12) can be paid prior to the meeting in Kilmarnock College.  A warm welcome will be given to both new and returning members.  Come early to be sure of a seat and bring a friend.

Tonight's speaker is Barbara Graham, one of the founder members of KDHG.  Barbara has recently retired from her post at Strathclyde University but that does not mean that there has been any reduction in her normal very busy schedule.  I'm certain that her talk tonight on the 1715 Jacobite Uprising will be both informative and entertaining.

Can you identify this Kilmarnock mill?

KDHG recently had contact from Sue Beanland in Yorkshire who forwarded the above photo with the following comment;

"The interior is of a mill in Kilmarnock around the early years of the Great War. My great grandfather, George William Waterhouse, was the manager and is positioned on the back row behind the machinery wearing a shirt and collar. He was killed at Arras in 1917 having volunteered for service. On his death my great grandmother and grandmother (who was a child at the time) were forced to return to family in Yorkshire. My grandmother had fond memories of her life in Kilmarnock and always longed to return. I hope to find out as much as I can about the town, it's industry and people. If only I had asked her more about it!"

We know that George was born in Yorkshire in 1883 and travelled to the USA before coming to Kilmarnock. His wife was called Sarah Ellen and they had a daughter called Evelyn who is Sue's grandmother.

Can anyone cast any light onto which mill this was and do you have any family who can perhaps give KDHG and Sue some more information? If so, please contact us with your stories.

New Book of Historic Scottish Maps.

A new book brings Scottish history to light through maps

Maps revealing Scotland's history and changing aspects of Scottish life have been brought together in a fascinating new book.
'Scotland: Mapping the nation' shows how maps can explain aspects of the story of Scotland as a nation, from the Roman era to the satellite age.
It is the first book to take Scotland's maps and mapping seriously as a form of history.
More than 220 maps, mostly from the National Library of Scotland's map collections, were chosen to illustrate, for example:

• Scotland occupied and defended
• Towns and urban life
• Popular culture
• Travel and communication
• How science has left its mark.

Among the historic and unusual maps included in the volume are:

• The extensive tram network in Glasgow in the last century (1908)
• A Soviet map of Greenock pinpointing factories and military targets (1979)
• Specially designed maps for blind people (1851 and 1978)
• Temperance maps showing the location of public houses (1884)
• The first road maps, from the 17th century.

Authors Chris Fleet, Margaret Wilkes and Charles W J Withers have aimed the book at anyone interested in Scottish history. Historian T C Smout describes it as 'a real eye-opener' and 'utterly absorbing':

'... when you have read it you will never think of maps, or perhaps of Scotland, in the same way again'.

'Scotland: Mapping the nation' will be published by Birlinn on 3 October, in association with the National Library of Scotland, priced£30.

Exhibition in Dick Institute - Reel History

The Reel History exhibition upstairs in the Dick is showing a series of short films about East Ayrshire and its people.

Films on show include:-
  Peace Day celebrations in Kilmarnock in 1919,  Glenfield Ramblers’ jubilee garden party at Dean Castle in 1934, Darvel Lace Queen 1952, production at Glenfield & Kennedy 1956 and film of Strang's Foundry, Hurlford shot in 1947.

The films will be on display until 24 December 2011.

Go along to the Dick and enjoy the memories these films generate!

Articles to archive

As part of our recent website update we will be building a comprehensive online archive of local history. This will be found under the 'People, Buildings, Landmarks & Events' section.
We invite everyone with an interest in archiving their own piece of history to contact us to find out how to contribute.
Your entry may be a small but fascinating piece of family history, a fact about your house or street or a topic you have been researching. If it's of interest to you, it will be of interest to us ! This is your chance to help build easily accessible history for the community.
Please get in touch via the 'Contact Us' page.

New Website for Kilmarnock & District History Group

Look out for the new website of KDHG which goes live tomorrow (1st. September).  It has several new features which, we hope, are an improvement on the previous site.  Have a look at it from tomorrow and share your thoughts about it with us.  We look forward to your comments positive or negative.

Waterloo Street, Kilmarnock around 1900.

Fleming - Boyd Orr Conference Saturday 24th. September 2011

I'm delighted to say that there has been an excellent uptake of places at the forthcoming Alexander Fleming/John Boyd Orr Conference in Kilmarnock Academy on Saturday 24th. September.
Although the conference is free, it is essential for administrative reasons and to enable catering to be organised that you register in advance at:-

flemingboydorr@gmail.com

Lost Royal Navy Submarines Found - 93 Years On

It was a “battle” that involved no enemy contact whatsoever, that left two submarines sunk, 270 British submariners dead and which the Royal Navy kept secret for as long as it could. But now new evidence has emerged that sheds fresh light on the “Battle of the Isle of May”.

Marine surveyors mapping the sea bed off the Fife coast have uncovered the exact resting places of the two Royal Navy submarines lost in one of the most unfortunate, but also little known, self-inflicted calamities in British naval history.

Full story at:
http://heritage.caledonianmercury.com/2011/08/16/windfarm-surveyors-find-royal-navy-submarines-93-years-on/002973

KDHG on BBC Radio Scotland !

KDHG President Stuart Wilson talks about Kilmarnock Academy's unique place in history as Scotland's only school to have two Nobel Prize winners in it's alumni.

Click the link below before 11 July and scroll forward to 1hr 14 mins into the programme if you missed the broadcast.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01294h1/MacAulay_and_Co_04_07_2011/

Lecture Programme for Session 2011 - 2012

Graham Boyd has just finished putting together our syllabus for next year and it looks really interesting, covering a wide range of historical areas.  There is something in it to please everyone with an interest in history.

Kilmarnock & District History Group

Syllabus     2011-2012

2011

4 October                  Barbara Graham          The 1715 Jacobite Uprising  

18 October                David Craig                 World War II - The Russian Convoys

           

1 November              Charlotte Rostek         Dumfries House

15 November            Colin Barbour             From von Braun to the Moon Landings

29 November            John Steele                  Finally Revealed – The Hidden Scandals

                                                                      of  HMS Dasher

13 December            George Watson           Victoria to Viagra

2012

10 January                Professor Danny Gorman       The History of London Buses

24 January                John Burnett                           Crowds in 19^th Century Ayrshire       

7 February                Professor  Dauvit Broun         New Light on Wallace &

                                                                                  The Declaration of Arbroath

.

21 February              Dr Ian Mathieson                    The Turning Point – Napoleon’s

                                                                                   Invasion of Russia 1812

                                                         

6 March                    Dr June Neilson                      The Romans In Scotland

20 March                  Bill Fitzpatrick                        The Titanic – The Beloved, The Damned      

                                                                                  & The Forgotten

Mystery Photograph

Can anyone shed some light on the location in the background of this photograph?  It might be in the Kilmarnock area and was probably taken around 1910.  Any help or suggestions welcomed.  It comes from Patrick Hutton in Edinburgh.  He can be contacted at:-

member@6brc.freeserve.co.uk

History of Glasgow Police.

Another excellent turn out of 80 members last night (Tuesday 22 March) for our final meeting of the History Group's winter programme.  Retired Inspector Alastair Dinsmor from the Glasgow Police Museum in Bell Street, Glasgow spoke about the history of the police force in Glasgow.
The UK's first Police Act was the Glasgow Police Act of 30 June 1800 which led to the establishment of the Glasgow Force.  Another eleven Scottish cities and burghs established police forces under further individual police Acts of Parliament before Robert Peel's Metropolitan Police Force  was established in London in 1829.
Alastair covered many major events in the development of the force from its inception in 1800 until its merger in 1975 with several other county forces in the west of Scotland to form Strathclyde Police.
Further details of the Glasgow Police Museum can be found at

http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/

River Clyde Police

National Cooperative Archive

National Co-operative Archive


Situated in the centre of Manchester, the National Co-operative Archive is home to a wide selection of records relating to the history of the global co-operative movement. The collections include rare books, periodicals, manuscripts, films, photographs and oral histories, and provide researchers with an unrivalled resource for the study of the development of the co-operative movement, from the initial ideas of the eighteenth century to the present day.

In January 2010 Gillian Lonergan, Head of Archive and Learning Resources at the Co-operative College, travelled to Galashiels to rescue some of the records of the societies that merged to form Lothian and Borders Co-operative Societ.   A student from the Liverpool University Masters of Archive and Records Management course has been working in the archive to arrange and catalogue the records. The catalogue is now available to view online at http://archiveshub.ac.uk/search/record.html?recid=gb1499lbc
 There is also a link from the National Co-operative Archive website.


The collection covers the period 1840-1944 and includes a wide range of records including photographs, correspondence, balance sheets, minutes and building records. One of the most interesting items is a poster advertising the opening of a second shop at Galashiels in June 1845 only six months after the Rochdale Pioneers opened their first store.

Researching Your Irish Ancestors

There will be a joint meeting of the Ayrshire Family History Societies
 in
the Session House of St. Columba's Church, Largs. (Opposite Nardini's Cafe, at the bottom of Nelson Street),

on Wednesday 23rd March at 7-30pm.

The speaker will be Chris Paton and his subject will be" Researching Your Irish Ancestors"

Refreshments will be available after the talk.

Please contact Ann Gregory of Largs Family History Society if you wish to attend: ann.gregory22@hotmail.com

Konigsberg/Kalliningrad - Europe's Lost City

Tomorrow night (Tuesday 8 March) come along and listen to our Syllabus Secretary's (Graham Boyd's) talk on the city in East Prussia whose name has oscillated between Konigsberg and Kalliningrad.  Discover the Scottish connection.  It promises to be a great night.

Leading Ladies

An interesting course of lectures, beginning in July this year, presented by one of our members, Barbara Graham.

Barbara is a Founder member of both Kilmarnock and District History Group and the Ayrshire Federation of Historical Societies. She is also a previous recipient of the John Strawhorn Quaich, which is awarded annually for outstanding contributions to local or family history in Ayrshire.
Leading Ladies
presented by
Barbara Graham MA MLitt M Phil

Take a biographical journey through the lives of famous women who made a significant contribution to history by defying convention and breaking new ground in literature, social reform, overseas missionary work and times of turmoil in their generation.

WHEN? :     Tuesdays from 26 July 2011 Time 10.00 – 12.00  for 6 weeks


WHERE? :   Room GH330, 3rd Floor, Graham Hills Building, 40 George Street, Glasgow

Important - Change of Programme

East Ayrshire Family History Society has had to make a change to its scheduled programme of lectures.

Thursday 10th March speakers will now be - John Stevenson & Dan McKay  giving a presentation on Strangs Foundry, Hurlford .

Thursday 14th April.  Mrs Joyce Brown will be the speaker on Hamilton Palace.

South Ayrshire History Fair

Anyone with an interest in the history of Ayrshire should note the following event in their diary.  It promises to be a great programme, covering a wide range of topics.


South Ayrshire History Fair



4th June 2011, Walker Halls, Troon
Speakers:-


Dr John Burnett, Curator of Scottish Ethnology, National Museums of Scotland,
"Glasgow Fair 1840 - 1914: Doon the watter to Ayrshire"


Tom Barclay, Local Studies Librarian, Souith Ayrshire Council,
"Glimpses of Dark Age Ayrshire 400 AD - 1100 AD: An overview of the evidence."


Dr Matthew Hammond, Lecturer in Scottish History, University of Edinburgh,
"South Ayrshire and the Paradox of Medieval Scotland database: Earldom, Abbey and Burgh in the Central Middle Ages."


George Geddes, Archaeological Investigator, RCAHMS, and co-author of "The Archaeological Landscape of Bute (RCAHMS, 2010),
"An Introduction to Ancient Bute."




Prices for the talks are £10 for the day.
Single talk tickets are also available priced £3 for one, or £5.00 for two.


There will also be a large range of stalls available from 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. These will include: Family History Societies, Local and National History Organisations and professional and commercial businesses.


There will also be a specialist Scottish bookshop present.
Admission to the stalls is free.


For more information contact:


South Ayrshire Local History Library 01292 272231


www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/historyfair


localhistory@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

KDHG AGM 2011

Will all members please note, that as mentioned at the last meeting, this year's AGM will take place in The Lecture Theatre at Kilmarnock College at 7.30pm on Tuesday 22 March.

Guided Walks Around Historic Kilmarnock

We are delighted that the very successful "Town Trail" guided walks of the main historic sites of Kilmarnock will be on offer again this year.  They will be led by Bob McWilliam, one of our members, and will take place on Sunday 10 April and Sunday 17 April 2011.  Both walks will commence from New Laigh Kirk, Bank Street at 2pm.  The first walk, on 10 April, will cover the southern part of the town and the other walk, on 17 April, will cover the northern part.

If you require more information on these excellent guided tours around Kilmarnock, please e-mail :-

info@kilmarnockhistory.co.uk

                                          John Wilson's Printing Shop by James Allan

Fairlie House

It was a full house for last night's(22 February) talk by Sandra Liquorish on her home, Fairlie House, between Dundonald and Gatehead.  Although its official title is Fairlie House her residence is better known to many local people as "Fairlie fivelums" because of its distinguishing five chimneys.  Sandra talked, with some humour, not just about the house but about the people involved in designing, building and maintaining it.  A thoroughly informative and enjoyable evening.

Programme of Meetings Throughout Ayrshire

Ayrshire is very fortunate in having a large number of very active societies with an interest in local and family history.  The Ayrshire Federation of Historical Societies is the "umbrella" organisation which coordinates and supports the activities of many of these organisations.
The AFHS annually produces a diary of all the talks taking place in Ayrshire which are arranged by its member organisations.
The diary for the early part of 2011 is reproduced below.


Ayrshire Federation of Historical Societies.
Diary for 2011 - February to May.

AA Arran Antiquarians. Meetings in Brodick Public Hall, Brodick, at 2 p.m.
AANHS Ayrshire Archaeological & Natural History Society. Meetings in Carnegie Library, Ayr, at 7.45 p.m.
*. This particular meeting will be held at the Citadel Leisure Centre, South Harbour Street, Ayr, at 7.45 p.m.
ASA Alloway & Southern Ayrshire Family History Society. Meetings in Alloway Church Halls, Alloway, at 7.45 p.m.
BHS Beith Historical Society. Meetings in lounge of the Eglinton Inn, Beith at 8.00 p.m.
CHS Cumbrae Historical Society. Meetings in Hiccups Lounge, Newton Bar, Millport at 7 p.m..
DHS Dundonald Historical Society. Meetings in Dundonald Castle Visitors Centre, Dundonald, at 7.30 p.m.
EAFHS East Ayrshire Family History Society. Meetings in Gateway Centre, Foregate Square, Kilmarnock, at 7.30 p.m.
FHS Joint Joint Meeting of Ayrshire Family History Societies. St Columba’s Church, Largs, at 7.45 p.m.
KCCS Kyle and Carrick Civic Society. Meetings in Loudoun Hall, Ayr, at 7.30 p.m.
KDHG Kilmarnock & District History Group. Meetings in Kilmarnock College at 7.30 p.m.
Largs HH LDHS Hakon Hakonsson Lecture. In Vikingar!, Largs at 8 p.m.
Largs Jt. Joint meeting of LDHS and LNAFHS. In St Columba’s Session House, Largs at 7.30 p.m.
LDHS Largs and District Historical Society. Meetings in Largs Museum at 7.30 p.m.
L(MS) LDHS, Marine Section. Meetings in Largs Museum at 7.30 p.m.
LNAFHS Largs & North Ayrshire Family History Society. Meetings in Largs Library, Allanpark Street, Largs at 7.30 p.m.
PHG Prestwick History Group. Meetings in 65 Club, Main Street, Prestwick, at 7.30 p.m.
SHS Stewarton & District Historical Society. Meetings in John Knox Church Hall, Stewarton, at 7.30 p.m.
SWT Scottish Wildlife Trust: Ayrshire Members’ Centre. Meetings in The Green Room, Auchincruive, Ayr, at 7.30 p.m.
TAFHS Troon @ Ayrshire Family History Society. Meetings in Portland Church Hall, South Beach, Troon, at 7.30 p.m.
WKCS West Kilbride Civic Society. Meetings in Community Centre, Corse Street, West Kilbride, at 7.30 p.m.


February 2011

Thurs 3rd PHG David Rowan and Alisdair Cochrane  - Posted in Prestwick
Mon 7th KCCS John Pelan - The Scottish Civic Trust
Mon 7th SHS I Dickson - The City of Petra
Tues 8th LNAFHS Mrs N Cameron - Wemyss Bay Station
Tues 8th KDHG KDHG Members - History on the Web
Thurs 10th EAFHS Valerie Campbell - Thomas McDougall Brisbane
Thurs 10th AANHS Gordon Stewart - Dundonald Castle
Mon 14th CHS Jim Walker - The Antonine Wall: Rome’s North West Frontier
Tues 15th ASA Brenda Kidd - History of St Andrews Ambulance
Tues 15th TAFHS Carolina Borwick - Blair Castle and its People
Tues 15th SWT Paula Baker - Alternative Lochwinnoch
Mon 21st LDHS James Brown - Crossraguel Abbey – Ayrshire’s Ancient French Connection
Tues 22nd WKCS Stanley Sarsfield - Mauchline Ware
Tues 22nd KDHG Sandra Liquorish - Fairlie House – Its Architects and Inhabitants
Thurs 24th AANHS Fraser Hunter - Romans in Scotland
Thurs 24th BHS Lesley Charlton - The Importance of Place

March 2011

Thurs 3rd PHG Members - Pot Pourri
Mon 7th KCCS Edwin Lawrence - All the Fun of the Fair
Mon 7th SHS Bill McGregor - Trams and Buses, Part II
Tues 8th KDHG Graham Boyd - Kalliningrad
Thurs 10th AANHS* Ian Cornforth - Bats (Chiroptera)
Thurs 10th EAFHS Joyce Brown - Hamilton Palace
Mon 14th CHS Dugald Cameron - Scotland’s Aviation – From Pilcher to the Planets
Tues 15th TAFHS tbc
Tues 15th ASA Sheena Andrew - Auld Ayr
Tues 15th SWT Davy McCracken - Chough Stuff: Developing Chough Conservation Strategy in Scotland
Mon 21st LDHS Shirley Watson - The Scottish Battlefields as Cultural Artefact
Tues 22nd KDHG Alastair Dinsmore - The History of Glasgow Police
Wed 23rd FHS Joint Chris Paton - Researching Your Irish Ancestry
Tues 29th WKCS John Hume - Victorian Churches
Thurs 31st BHS Alex Grey - New Riverside Museum

April 2011

Mon 4th SHS A Adamson Scottish Civic Trust – 20 years of Buildings at Risk
Thurs 7th PHG Jean Lockley and Graham Humphreys - Man’s Mark
Tues 12th TAFHS Sandra Liquorish - Fairlie House and its People
Tues 12th LNAFHS Donald Cameron - Street Names of Largs
Thurs 14th EAFHS John Stevenson and Daniel Mackay - Strang’s Foundry, Hurlford
Mon 18th CHS Pauline Hunter - The Hunters of Hunterston
Tues 19th SWT Scott Shanks - Small Blue Butterfly Reintroduction at Gailes Marsh
Tues 26th ASA John Hume - Victorian Churches in Ayrshire
Thurs 28th BHS Gerald Cummings - Old Roads of Ayrshire

May 2011

Thurs 5th PHG Members - Blether of 2011
Mon 9th SHS David Clement - Local Place Names and their Origins, Part II.
Thurs 12th EAFHS Dane Love tbc
Tues 17th ASA Sheila and Andrew Dinwoodie - The Girvan – Boer War Connection

Scottish Place Name Society Conference in Troon: 7 May 2011

Scottish Place-Name Society


Comann Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba


Day conference and AGM – Saturday 7th May 2011


Walker Halls, South Beach Esplanade, Troon



10.30–11.00 Registration and coffee/tea

11.00-11.05 Welcome

11.05–11.35 Rob Close, Ayrshire Federation of Historical Societies: There isn’t always an answer - Ayrshire Street and House Names.

11.35–12.15 Thomas Clancy, University of Glasgow: At St Meddan's Convenience: place-names of Troon and the surrounding area.

12.15-12.55 Terhi Nurminen, University of Newcastle: Hill-terms in the place-names of the historical counties of Northumberland and Durham



13.00–14.00 Buffet lunch (bookstall available)



14.00–14.35 AGM – reports, accounts and elections.



14.35–15.05 James Butler, University of Glasgow: The Places within the Texts: Onomastic Research and the Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing.

15.05–15.35 Alexander and Jennifer McKay: From the Needle's Ee to Hell's Lum: an exploration of some place-names around Troup Head, Banffshire.

15.35–16.15 Gilbert Márkus, University of Glasgow: From Goill to Gall-Ghàidheil - farm-names and language change on Bute.



1615 coffee/tea and biscuits then skail



The cost for the day will be £20, inclusive of conference, tea / coffee on arrival and departure, and buffet lunch. Full-time students £10. Book early!

If you would like to attend please complete the form below and send with a cheque for £20 (or £10) per person payable to SPNS, to Pete Drummond, 8 Academy Place, Coatbridge ML5 3AX by April 30th (although late bookings can usually be accepted). For late bookings after 1st May, phone Pete Drummond on 0776968 0293.



NOTE 1: Minutes of previous AGM will be posted on website from 1 May. If you would like hard copy, send SAE to SPNS Secretary, c/o SLD, 25 Buccleuch Place (basement), Edinburgh EH8 9LN.

NOTE 2: The Walker Halls are on sea-front c.400 m from Troon railway station.



(Acknowledgements will not be sent.) (Retain this part for programme, venue location, etc.).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Please find enclosed my cheque for £ __ for __ place(s) at the May 7th Troon SPNS conference. Name (please print) ___________________

Address ____________________________________________________

Phone number _________________ Email _______________________

Launching Our New Website

Thanks to Gary Torbett and Graham Boyd for last night's presentation to launch our new website.  Around 60 members were at Kilmarnock College to learn a little about the website and our discussion forum.  Gary took us through the procedure to access the Forum and how to register as a Follower, which will enable members to contribute items of interest or observations to the Forum.
Graham demonstrated how to access the Historic Scotland and "Buildings at Risk" websites.  He also briefly described how to access old pictures of Kilmarnock on the East Ayrshire Council site.
Members were given a lot of information in a relatively short time, but hopefully the handout supplied will enable them to have a look at some of the websites which were discussed.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 22 February at 7.30pm, when Sandra Liquorish will talk to us about her own home, "Fairlie House", which has some interesting Robert Burns connections.

You can see from the picture why it is known locally as "Fairlie Five Lums"!.

How to join the KDHG Blog / Forum

If you wish to join the Forum and do not already have a 'Blogger' sign in, please click here and follow the simple instructions. This will only take you a few moments.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Should you experience any difficulties, please e-mail us on info@kilmarnockhistory.co.uk

We have also placed some useful links on the following KDHG page after the syllabus.
http://www.kilmarnockhistory.co.uk/about.php
This will be expanded on as new links are recommended to us.




Many thanks

History on the Web

Some Useful Websites for Amateur Historians

Kilmarnock & District History Grouphttp://www.kilmarnockhistory.co.uk/

KDHG Discussion Forum
http://kilmarnockhistorygroup.blogspot.com/

National Archives of Scotlandhttp://www.nas.gov.uk/

National Archives of UKhttp://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

A2A Access to Archives – England & Waleshttp://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/

National Archives of Irelandhttp://www.nationalarchives.ie/

National Archives of USAhttp://www.archives.gov/

National Archives of Australiahttp://www.naa.gov.au/

National Library of Scotlandhttp://www.nls.uk/

British Libraryhttp://www.bl.uk/

Library of Congress USAhttp://www.loc.gov/index.html

Commonwealth War Graves Commissionhttp://www.cwgc.org/

Buildings at Riskhttp://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/BAR/

Historic Scotlandhttp://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/

East Ayrshire Councilhttp://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/

Maps of Scotlandhttp://maps.nls.uk/

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Google Art Projecthttp://www.googleartproject.com/

World Newspapers Onlinehttp://www.onlinenewspapers.com/

The Louvre Museum, Parishttp://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en

World Newspapers

Onlinenewspapers.com

History on the Web

Next Tuesday's meeting (8 February) will give members the opportunity to see for themselves a little of the huge amount of information available on the internet to people interested in any aspect of history.  Members of the group will provide information about some of the very useful websites which can be easily accessed by historians as well as giving an introduction to our very own website and blog, which can be viewed at


Kilmarnock &; District History Group Forum

and

Kilmarnock & District History Group Website

Zulu Wars

We had a near-capacity audience last night (Tuesday 25 January) to listen to Dr. Tony Pollard speak about his battlefield archeology fieldwork at the site of the famous battle in the Zulu War at Isandlwana and at Rorke's Drift. Dr. Pollard is the Director of the Centre for Battlefield Archeology at the University of Glasgow.  As always, Dr Pollard provided the audience with a graphic account of the battle and of his use of modern techniques to uncover present day evidence of the battle. He provided an insight into Zulu culture and military tactics, backed up by many artefacts from the site, uncovered during his excavations in 1999.  A thoroughly enthralling talk.

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

We had a super talk about Glasgow Botanic Gardens on Tuesday 11 January 2011, given by Ewen Donaldson the General Manager of the Gardens. Ewen explained the history of the Gardens, which were founded in 1817. They were founded on an 8-acre site at the West End of Sauchiehall Street at Sandyford. This was through the initiative of Thomas Hopkirk of Dalbeth who gave his own plant collection to form the nucleus of the new garden.
Mr Donaldson then covered in some detail the recent renovation of the magnificent Kibble Palace.
Finally Ewen

dealt with the plant collections, illustrating his comments with some superb photographs. An excellent start to the 2011 lecture programme.