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Greenock Cemetery Walks

Greenock Cemetery was opened in 1846 and was believed to be one of the largest municipal cemeteries in Europe; built on a hill with beautiful views over the town.  A walk through the cemetery tells the story of Greenock with its history of trade and commerce and the people involved. The link below is for the Greenock […]

Dame Louisa Augusta Wood

Louisa Augusta Fanning was born in Canada to General Edmund Fanning and Phoebe Maria Burns on 3 October 1786 at Halifax Nova Scotia.  Her father was the governor of Prince Edward Island.  On 28 June 1830 she married Gabriel Wood by special license in London.  They made their home in Bath, Somerset. She died on […]

Martin Compston

A cheeky chappy who, never having acted before, auditioned for Ken Loach for the starring role in the controversial movie Sweet Sixteen which was being filmed in Inverclyde. Previous to  this he was a player with Greenock Morton Football Club. The nice thing is, it doesn’t look as though Martin is going to be a […]

Mary Campbell – Highland Mary

Click the link below to access the leaflet about Highland Mary Highland-mary-Leaf-Highland-mary-Leaf[2]     Mary Campbell’s grave in the Old West Kirkyard

Dame Frances Caroline Cameron

Dame Frances Caroline Cameron was the wife of Sir Charles Cameron MP. She died on 25 January 1899 at her home in Greenock.There is a small mausoleum for Dame Frances in the Greenock Cemetery where her ashes were interred. Frances  Caroline Macauley was born in Ireland.  In 1869 she married Charles Cameron the son of a […]

Frances Ann Wood

Frances Ann Wood (born 19 March 1773, died 21 May 1856) was the sister of Sir Gabriel Wood.  He had requested that some of his estate be used to build a home for old and sick mariners in his native town of Greenock.  This was not a legally binding memorandum but both his sister and his wife, Dame Louisa, carried out his wishes and […]

Flossie May Govier

Flossie May Govier

Miss Flossie M. Govier was mentioned by the War Office for special services rendered during World War 1.  She served as a nurse in Red Cross and VAD Hospitals in the country.  Flossie worked at the Smithston War Hospital prior to serving at the Northumberland Auxiliary Hospital, Corbridge-on-Tyne.  Her address is given as 3 Mona […]

Elizabeth Taylor Gilchrist

Elizabeth Taylor Gilchrist was born in Greenock on 23 October 1863 to William and Elizabeth Gilchrist.  She was the third child of the couple.  William had a draper’s business in the town and his children became involved in this work.  The business was well known in Greenock and survived until quite recently. However, Elizabeth was a […]

Henry Robertson Bowers

Henry Robertson Bowers (1883 – 1912) Adventurer. Short, hardy, reliable, understated and the finest example of a man Greenock has ever produced. He sailed at least five times around the world. He was a Royal Indian Marine and he captured gun runners on the Persian Gulf.   Henry was born in the house at the corner […]

Richard Wilson

Richard Wilson was born in Dunlop Street Greenock. Lady Alice Primary and Greenock High School turned out a medical lab technician. He was 27 and in London when the decision was made to act. RADA prepared him for a career on stage and screen. There is so much more to him than One Foot in the Grave. He is nowhere near […]