Retired police superintendent David Kirkwood was guest
speaker at the November meeting of the Galloway
Preservations Society (GPS) on Saturday 7 November 2015,
when he related the history of the Stewart family, the Earls of
Galloway and their residence at Galloway House, Garlieston.
His talk was based on the book he published through the
Stranraer and District History Trust and he spoke in
complementary terms aboutthe good work the trust does in
providing funding from the book sales for history related
projects throughout Wigtownshire.
David explained the origin of the Stewart family from Alan
Fitzflaad, the Breton knight who settled in England after the
Norman Conquest. Within a few generations, his
descendants, who by this time had relocated to Scotland, became the High Stewards of Scotland,
hence the origin of the surname (Steward to Stewart). One of the hereditary Stewart stewards, Walter
Stewart, married Marjory Bruce, daughter of King Robert 1, and founded the Royal House of Stuart,
beginning with their son, King Robert II. In addition to the Royal House of Stuart, various branches of
the Stewart family became Scottish peers, including one holding the Earldom of Galloway. It was in
1263 that the lands of Garlies and Glasserton were conferred upon the Family. In 1607 when Sir
Alexander Stewart was created Baron Stewart of Garlies and, in 1623, was raised to the dignity of 1st
Earl of Galloway.
The earl's summer residence at Glasserton was burned down in 1730 and the replacement residence
on the lands of Pouton, on the southern fringes of Carswell Village, was constructed under the
supervision of Lord Garlies, to become the 6th Earlof Galloway, and occupied by him in 1743. Later
that century Carswell was renamed Garliestown to perpetuate the title 'Lord Garlies' bestowed upon the
earl's elddest son.
David related stories about the earls who had been associated with Galloway Houseup to and including
Randolph Henry Stewart the 11th Earl. He explained that all of them contributed much to the village
and surrounding area but at a price. From thelate 18th Century the demise of the estate was evident
and in early 1904 it was let to Sir George Bullough, proprietor of the magnificent island of Rum. A
decision waseventually taken to sell the house and adjacent lands in December 1907. By 1909 the
properties were purchased by Sir Malcolm McEachern who was involved in theshipping business in
Ayr. Sir Malcolm died the following year and in due course his
son Neil had fallen heir to the estate. Neil sold the estate in 1930 and settled in Italywhere he
purchased an estate and established gardens overlooking Lake Maggiore. He established beautiful
gardens based on the skills he had learned at Galloway House.
The house and curtilage has been sold several times since the departure of McEachernand was run as
a residential school by Glasgow Corporation between 1947 and 1977, and is currently a private
residence.
April 2015, AGM and Lecture - Gatehouse 100 Years Ago as Shown in the
McMurray Photography Collection
Over 40 members of the GPS gathered in Carsluith village hall on the 11th of April for their AGM, which
was followed by a talk by local historian Dr David Steel on the
photographs taken by the Gatehouse photographer William McMurray
in the first decades of the 20th Century.The illustrated talk used these
to show how photographs taken a hundred years ago can extend our
memory of the local area and can be of great value in demonstrating
how individual buildings and street scenes have changed over the last
century. Gatehouse postman William McMurray took his photographs
in the first decades of the twentieth century, and some 800 glass
plates were discovered in his former house when his daughter died in
2012.
These photographs are also invaluable in helping us to understand the social background of the early
years of the twentieth century, when William McMurray was recording people and places around
Gatehouse of Fleet. David described the techniques William McMurray
used for capturing his subjects and how he photographed all classes of
people in the Gatehouse area from workmen sitting on a bench to
stylish ladies riding side saddle on Cally drive. A number of
photographs showed Gatehouse in the First World War with plates
showing the Ayrshire Yeomanry in Anne Street, a soldier posing by a
gate and a young James McMurray who was killed in the war. A
photograph of the staff at Ardwall shortly before the First World War
depicted a life style which was lost for ever with the war.
A wedding photograph was used to show how much wedding clothes
had changed since the 1920s. The photograph chosen, showed the
family of Dr Craig, who was the general practitioner in Gatehouse for many years, and whose son Billy is
the President of the Galloway Preservation Society and was able to tell the audience who the people
were including his own parents and grandparents. David used his talk to show how individual buildings
such as the Angel Hotel or Cally House and landscape features such as Bush Bridge had changed over
time, how some buildings had been demolished or destroyed by fire, and how these old photographs
might be helpful if building details were to be restored. He also illustrated how the McMurray photographs
could be combined with other photographs and drawings to show how much a building such as Cally
house has changed over time.
David concluded his talk with a number of photographs of as yet unknown people and places, and asked
members of the Society to help him identify them.
(For more information on the McMurray photographs see the web site www.gatehouse-folk.org.uk)
At a well-attended meeting of the Galloway Preservation Society (GPS) on the 7th March Wendi Cuffe,
economic development officer with D&G council, gave a lively and informative overview of the Stranraer
Townscape Heritage Project and the general
plans for the economic regeneration of
Stranraer. The background to the need to
revitalise Stranraer town centre was presented,
especially in the light of the decline of the area
of George Street around the Lewis Street
junction and, in the wake of the loss of the
Stena terminal on the East Pier.
She described the conservation area with the aid of a plan showing the large number of listed buildings in the
core of the town extending from Agnew Park to Port Rodie along the seafront and
extending south to include the town centre as far as Charlotte Street and much of
Lewis Street. A key focus for the regeneration of the built environment is the part of
George Street comprising the Old Town Hall (now the town museum), the Golden
Cross public house and the former George Hotel. While support for the first two
will be forthcoming, there still remains the problem of finding a use for the former
George Hotel, without which it will be difficult to make a proposal likely to obtain
financial support.
The general plans for regeneration were also
presented especially with regard to the seafront where the old West Pier has
already been given a significant facelift in conjunction with plans for the extension
and upgrading of the existing marina facilities. A plan for the full development of
the east pier has to be concluded, and discussions are ongoing with possible
developers.
The talk was followed by a lively question and answer session with an assortment
of suggestions for the possible uses of the sites and buildings. It was also
confirmed that following the loss of the sandy
beach on Agnew Crescent to make the former Seacat terminal, there were no other sites where a traditional
seaside beach could be re-established and maintained.
An enthusiastic vote of thanks on behalf of the audience was given to Wendi by Dr David Hannay.
April 2014 Lecture - Galloway Picts Project- an Excavation of Trusty’s Hill Near Gatehouse
March 2016 Lecture - The Galloway Association of Glasgow
The first talk of 2016 to the Galloway Preservation Society was given by the President of The Galloway
Association of Glasgow, Angus Rex. Angus, who is a native of Portpatrick and former pupil of Stranraer High
School, gave an overview of the history of the Association and described how, 225 years since its foundation, it
continues to support activities undertaken by residents of Galloway.
The Association was formed in 1791 as the Galloway Brotherly Society by twelve native Gallovidians living and
working in Glasgow. Its objective was to provide mutual insurance for members in Glasgow and their families
back in Galloway, to cover loss of income as the result of illness, or in the worst eventuality, to go towards
funeral expenses. Membership was open to males between the ages of 14 and 45 who were of good moral
character, were free from bodily trouble, had visible means of support, and had been born in or were connected
with Galloway; members in return paid a joining fee and one shilling and one pence quarterly subscriptions.
The fact that the membership criteria favoured the section of the community least likely to need to claim
substantially, resulted in a surplus soon accumulating and this being invested in the purchase of land and
properties on the South Side of Glasgow. The income from these investments formed the basis of a benevolent
fund which was used to fund scholarships and bursaries for deserving Gallovidians.
Similar charitable activities are the basis of the Association’s main benevolent activities to the present day, with
support being given to individuals, groups and projects from Galloway (Wigtownshire, and the Stewartry
defined by the old boundary of the river Nith to the east). Recent recipients have included the young traditional
singer Robyn Stapleton, the young opera singer Lauren McQuistin and the athlete Robert Tossnie;
organisations benefitting have included Lochryan Pipe band and the Newton Stewart flood appeal; projects
have included the Catstrand, and Wigtown and Kirkcudbright for development of their book town and artists’
town projects respectively. Angus pointed out that such support tends to be of a one-off nature rather than
ongoing commitments.
The talk was followed by a lively question and answer session focussing on the criteria for current support by
the Association, and the meeting was concluded by a warm vote of thanks given by Dr David Hannay.
November 2015 Lecture - The Earls of Galloway and Galloway House
March 2015 Lecture - The Stranraer Townscape Heritage Project
On 6th November 2016 the Galloway Preservation Society held a meeting in Penninghame Parish Hall, where a talk was given by David Collin, long time Kirkcudbright resident and local historian.
November 2016 Lecture - Little Ross Lighthouse
On 6th November 2016 the Galloway Preservation Society held a meeting in Penninghame Parish Hall, where a talk
was given by David Collin, long time Kirkcudbright resident and local historian. A good sized audience heard David’s
account of the Little Ross Lighthouse in Kirkcudbright Bay.
In the eighteenth century the Solway Firth was a busy shipping lane with cargoes heading for the Cumbrian and the
Galloway ports. The seas were often stormy, and the Galloway shoreline rocky, resulting in frequent shipwrecks
along the coast, and loss of life. When, following one such disaster, a cabin boy reached land in Kirkcudbright Bay,
only to expire on the shore, local feelings were raised, much as surround refugee tragedies in the Mediterranean
today. It was decided that something must be done. Efforts were made to persuade the Northern Lighthouse Board
that a lighthouse should be built to warn ships of the dangers. Local landowners were unwilling to provide a site, and
eventually it was decided to build on Little Ross Island at the mouth of Kirkcudbright Bay.
David gave a full account of the design and construction of the lighthouse, built by the well known Stevenson family
of lighthouse builders. Sheltering walls for gardens, and cottages were also built on the island. The lighthouse is
now automatic, but it, and some of the other buildings, are in use by holiday visitors.
David concluded with an account of the day that he, as a teenager, and his father were sailing in the bay, when their
attention was drawn to the sound of the telephone ringing continuously at the lighthouse. They landed on the island
and discovered the keeper dead in his bed, with stab wounds. While his father went for the police, David kept watch.
It did not take long for the assistant lighthouse keeper to be apprehended and eventually convicted of murder. A sad
tale.