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Cutty Sark
A China tea clipper was built in Dumbarton by Scott and Linton for John Willis and Sons, London. It was built for speed to compete in the China tea trade and was launched on 22 November 1869. However events overtook this ambition to be the fastest clipper as the Suez Canal opened on 16th November […]
Buffalo Bill
On the 8th September 1904, the people of Greenock and surrounding areas, enthusiastically welcomed the world-famous performer Buffalo Bill and his performing troupe of 800 men and women of all nationalities and 500 horses, for their performance of ‘Buffalo Bill’s Wild West’ at Fort Matilda. A capacity crowd of 10,000 packed the huge tent in the afternoon and almost […]
Agnes Curran 1920 – 2005
Agnes was born on 12 February 1920 to Mark Brennan and Agnes Ferris Hendry at 25 Lyle Street, Greenock. She was the youngest of 9 children and when her father died at a young age she took over the care of the younger children as well as bringing up her own family of 3 children. […]
Captain John Orr 1790 – 1879
John Orr was born in Greenock on 3 April 1790 and baptised on 12th April. His parents were John and Margaret Orr (Drummond). His father is noted as a Jeweller in the baptismal records. (Other records give his father’s name as James John Orr and occupation as a silversmith.) John Orr obtained an army […]
Rev Kerr Johnston 1812 – 1887
Kerr Johnston was born in Greenock on 26 August 1812, his father was a printer and publisher. Kerr joined his father’s business and learned bookbinding. He studied at Glasgow University between 1837 -1840 and later studied at Glasgow Theological Academy. Dr Ralph Wardlaw, his tutor, was a prominent Scottish opponent of religious establishments. Kerr supported […]
Mrs. Mary Clarke
Mrs. Mary Clarke Mrs. Mary Clarke supplied this photo of former employees at Fleming Reid’s Mill probably from the 1920’s. Her mother, Mrs. Annie O’Donnell (nee Holland) is in the photo on the extreme left of the back row. Her mother’s sister, Rosie Gillan (nee Holland) is also in the photo, in the front row […]
Robert Weir Schultz 1860-1951
Arts and crafts architect born in Port Glasgow on 26 July 1860 to Henry Schultz and Isabella Weir. Henry had come from Germany and was a sugar refiner. He married Janet but sadly she died in the 1850s. He then married Isabella Weir, the daughter of a Galashiels doctor Robert Weir and the family moved […]
Isabella (Isabel) Wood Meldrum
Sister Isabel Meldrum is commemorated on the fine memorial erected by members of the Military Nursing Services in St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh to Scottish nurses who died while on war service. She served with the Territorial Force Nursing Service during the First World War. Isabella, or Bella as her name appears on one of the census records was […]
Annie O’Donnell Photo Fleming Reid’s
Mrs. Mary Clarke Mrs. Mary Clarke supplied this photo of former employees at Fleming Reid’s Mill probably from the 1920’s. Her mother, Mrs. Annie O’Donnell (nee Holland) is in the photo on the extreme left of the back row. Her mother’s sister, Rosie Gillan (nee Holland) is also in the photo, in the front […]
Other former employees of Fleming Reid’s
George Scott At the age of fifteen, George Scott worked as an office boy at the Merino Mill. As he got older, he became a clerk. George worked for a number of years at the mill where his service was interrupted between 1943 and 1945 when he was involved in war work during World War […]