James McCabe was born on 20th December 1885 ay 26 Williamsburgh, Paisley. (Many thanks to Margaret for finding this information; James’s subsequent Census records say he was born in New Kilpatrick.) In 1923 this property was renumbered as 92 Glasgow Road
In 1891 the young family was at 3 Baynes Street in Stirling – sadly, the oldest son (Edward) is described in the Census record as “imbecile from birth”.
In the 1901 Census the family lived at 11 First Row, Garscadden, and by 1911, they lived a short way away in Peel Glen Cottages.
This 1914 map shows Peel Glen and its cottages on modern Peel Glen Road. I’ve shown the broader map to show Garscadden House at the bottom left and the western edge of Beasden on the right, the public park shown now being called Thorn Park. Garscadden Rows were just off the top of the map in the left-hand corner.
The approximate site of the cottages in the modern landscape:
His occupation was farm labourer – which farm is not stated.
His father, John was a builder (from the 1901 Census, more generally he describes himself as a journeyman mason). With his wife, Mary they had 14 children, 11 of whom survived and eight shred the 3-room cottage with their parents (age range 25 to 1).
In 1913 James was married. The service took place on 5th December at The Mase, Drumchapel and his bride was Isabella Smith, a fisherman’s daughter from Campbelltown, who was working as a domestic servant in Bearsden at a villa called Adbaston, Thorn Road (now number 4).
On his marriage record, James records his occupation as a worker in a sewing machine factory, suggesting Singer’s at Clydebank (which was a major employer from the mid-1880s onwards).
We don’t know if James joined up or was conscripted but by 1916 he was a private in the 1st/8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, as a part of the 51st (Highland) Division.
In November 1916, at the end of the Battle of the Somme, the frontline had not moved forward at all in the area to the west of Beaumont Hamel. An attack in this sector had originally been planned for 24th October but had been repeatedly postponed; on 10th November it was decided that it would go in early on the morning of the 13th. The reason for the delays had been poor weather – as a result, the ground was very muddy, with a story of a runner from another unit being stuck in mud for several hours before anyone could free him.
The plan of attack was as follows (map credit Derek Bird “The Spirit of the Troops is Excellent”):
You can see “8 A&S H”, James’s battalion just above Beaumont Hamel and to the left. Two hours after the start, they had reached the third German line but could get no further.
Soren of Ypres is a battlefield guide and artist, and has produced this sketch:
It reminds us that at least some of the battalions would have been in kilts and advanced with a piper.
What happened to James is unknown. Indeed, the only newspaper report I can find (Milngavie and Bearsden Herald 29th December 1916, so six weeks later) reports him as missing:
The history of the cemetery where his body is buried – Redan Ridge Cemetery Number 2 – says it was formed when British soldiers cleared the battlefield (identified and buried the dead) in 1917. This could explain why he is buried alongside men who died on 1st July (the first day of the Somme battle), all of whose remains had lain on the ground for months.
His widow, Isabella, remarried to James McIntyre and they had (at least two children).