Article archive
Family Connections with the First World War
06/02/2016 10:59
Until about four years ago I had not known of any family members who were involved in the First World War. I had read a lot of accounts of WW1, particularly accounts from the trenches, but had not known of any relatives who had been involved. My cousin Irene’s recent book The Fifth Son...
150 Berkeley Street, Glasgow
05/02/2016 20:12
I took this photograph yesterday.
The basement Marked A is where my father's grandfather James Vannan died in 1919. He was staying with my grandparents. He had applied for Poor Relief since he was too ill to work as a sailmaker. He received 2/4d a week from the sailmakers union (=12p)
The...
Found details of Stewart Paterson's Will
05/02/2016 09:07
Last night I found information on the will of Stewart Paterson (the ancestotor I call 'molecatcher'). He left £1026 9s 7d in 1908. He was my grandfather's grandfather and lived in Earlston.
His 'story' can be found at Stewart Paterson on this site.
Stewart Paterson RSM
10/01/2015 18:45
Stewart Paterson - born 1883
pdf version of this page - Stewart Paterson RSM .pdf (108658)Stewart Paterson RSM .pdf (106,1 kB)
Stewart Paterson (born 27 May 1883) was my grandfather’s cousin. He was the grandson of Stewart
Paterson, molecatcher, who I’ve written about...
Stewart Paterson
05/08/2014 15:53
My grandfather’s grandfather was a mole-catcher
His name was Stewart Paterson and although he seems to have remained a mole-catcher all his life he was also a bit of a property developer.
He was born in 1832 at Cairns of Drimmie in the parish of Bendochy. This is just north of Blairgowrie in...
Robert Johnston - the master tailor
25/06/2014 14:26
My great grandfather was a tailor. He was born in 1856 in Berwick-upon-Tweed. He started his working life about the age of 14 as a tailor’s apprentice in Berwick, and went on to run tailoring businesses in Hawick, Oban, and Glasgow .
His father, also Robert Johnston , was a tailor also. His...
Finnieston has undergone a revolution in recent times
22/04/2014 17:42
Finnieston, once a drab, dreich and downtrodden strip, has undergone a revolution in recent times.
New life via a swathe of super-chic eateries and dapper drinking dens has seen this end of Argyle Street become one of Glasgow’s trendiest hotspots, and the latest addition is no exception.
The...
Test as a blog
22/04/2014 17:38
Once upon a time there were three bears
James Vannan
27/01/2014 16:43
James Vannan - Sailmaker
(1842-1918)
James Vannan was my father's mother's father. He was born in Meuse Lane, Cowcaddens, Glasgow in August 1842., and died at Berkeley Street, Glasgow in 1918.
His parents were James Vannan who was a cabinet-maker from Kilsyth (born 1816), and Jane...
The Master Chimney Sweep
27/01/2014 16:36
The Master Chimney Sweep
His name was Michael McGunnigle and he was my mother’s grandfather. He lived in the Cowcaddens area of Glasgow at 17 Ferguson Street.
He was married to Margaret McQueen, who was born in Greenock, and they had 12 children – one of them my grandmother known to me as...