Sarah Clyde McErlane

My grandmother, Sarah Clyde Cameron (1890-1971). Sarah’s maiden name was McErlane; she looks very young in this photograph, maybe 17/18.

National School, Newtownstewart

My old Primary School, in the Main Street. There was an earlier National School (Mill Street?) but this school opened in 1879.

Originally there were separate schools for boys and girls; amalgamated in 1938.

The Girls’ School opened in 1867, Principal was Mrs Ellen Fisher. Mrs Fisher was succeeded as Headmistress by her daughters Miss Annie Fisher and Miss Christina Fisher in turn – the Fishers were in charge throughout the entire existence of the separate Girls’ School.

Boys’ school principal in 1905 (when records start) was Charles Browne – the C Browne in the Newtownstewart Cycling Club photo. JJ McAnulla was principal from 1911-1941; Con O’Donnell 1941-1943; Michael Cassidy 1943-1960; Seamus O’Kelly 1960 until the school closed in the early ‘70s and St Patrick’s PS opened up in Dublin Street.

In my time there were two classrooms in the building above and two further classrooms in wooden buildings at the back. I believe these huts were left behind when the Americans left the area after WW2

Dublin Street, Newtownstewart

The Kirk family home in Dublin Street, Newtownstewart. The house stood almost directly opposite the start of Methodist Lane. Judging by pictures of Dublin Street in the first years of the twentieth century, this building was built sometime after that. The house was demolished in the mid-1980s.

Two photos of John James Kirk outside the sitting-room window – no idea who the others in the groups are – JJ is in the light suit.

Paddy Kirk (1901-1931) with companion.

Mary Agnes Kirk (1900-1989) at her front door. Mary was the sole inhabitant of the house from 1965 until it was demolished in the ‘80s. She then moved into the council house that was built right next door.

The Dublin Street house was home to the following members of the Kirk family: James (1841-1916), Hugh (1875-1937), Isabella (1875-1965), Mary Agnes (1900-1989), Paddy (1901-1931) and John James (1903-1955).

It was also home to my father Frank Kirk (1921-1976) and Patrick Joe Conway (1910-1975?). Both boys were ‘adopted’ by the Kirks, to borrow the terminology used in the 1911 census – there was no legal adoption process in place in Ireland until the late ‘30s.

Newtownstewart Cycling Club 1908

This great photograph appears in the Billy Dunbar book and a booklet produced by Ardstraw East parish in the late 1980s. It shows the Newtownstewart Cycling Club c1908 – the club was founded 3 years before.

Left to right: JJ McAnulla, C Browne, E Muldoon, H O’Connor, H McBride, P Woods, J Lynch.
JJ McAnulla became Headmaster of the National School, Main Street in 1911 and remained in that post until 1941 when he retired. Hugh McBride was secretary of the Cycling Club, a local publican – father of Brian & John McBride.

Of most interest to me is Hugh O’Connor (b1866). Hugh was my g-g-uncle – circumstances dictated that I don’t have many photographs of the Newtownstewart O’Connors so this one is precious.

In the 1911 census Hugh was living with his mother Anne, brother Michael and niece Alice Donnelly in Dublin Street. He lists his occupation as Insurance Agent; he was unmarried

Hugh O’Connor bankrupt

Notification in the Newry Telegraph (7^th December 1852) that Hugh O’Connor (1829-1895) was due to face a bankruptcy hearing in Omagh on 5^th January 1853. Hugh was a grocer – his shop was the one on the far right in the picture above, in Main Street, Newtownstewart.

Port Glasgow Timber Ponds

The timber ponds at Port Glasgow today, with Dumbarton just across the Clyde (and a cameo appearance by me). Two towns closely associated with my family.

In the 18^th and 19^th centuries logs imported from North America for shipbuilding were stored in these ponds, seasoned by the salt water. As iron & steel became the standard material for ships, trade in timber gradually decreased. The last wooden ship built on the River Clyde was launched in 1859 but the ponds were still in use up until the start of the First World War. The pond stakes reappear when the tide is out and are visible for miles

Balshagray Farm, Jordanhill, Glasgow

The three eldest children of Lachlan Cameron and Sarah McErlane – Jimmie Cameron (1919-1988), Henry Cameron (b. 1920) and Annie Cameron (1922-2013) were all born in Balshagray Farm in Jordanhill, Glasgow. 

According to Stuart MacLean’s website ‘Jordanhill Local History’ the farm was ‘on the north side of Mitre Road, west of Orleans Avenue.   A section of the original steading wall can still be seen at 38 Mitre Road. A date stone for 1829, saved from the old building when it was demolished, is incorporated into the boundary wall between two houses directly opposite the site, at numbers 39 and 41.’ http://www.wsmclean.com/bygones.htm

The farm’s full name was High Balshagray Farm – here it is in a map from 1860 https://maps.nls.uk/view/index.cfm?id=74953120#zoom=4&lat=9781&lon=3869&layers=BT

Lachlan and Sarah lived there with their growing family until at least 1922, when my mother, Annie, was born. They must have moved there not long after they got married in 1918.

For a brief time, Lachlan’s sister Ann (1862-1919) and her husband Myles Ward (1862-?) lived at the farm with them. By 1919 the Wards had moved to Gibson Street, in the West End – Ann died there, a victim of the flu pandemic. Interesting to note the Highlands (Cameron) / Irish connection – Sarah not so long away from Co. Derry; Myles came from Co. Fermanagh.

I wonder if this could be Lachlan or Myles in this postcard – the farm was demolished in 1928, not so long after the Camerons had departed to go back to Balloch.

https://glasgowpunter.blogspot.com/2014/11/walking-through-partick-past-and-present.html