Livingstone, Neil
As you head north on Stockiemuir Road from the Baljaffray Roundabout (with the BP/M&S Garage) you soon come to another roundabout, with a right turn into the Mains Estate (left turn is Douglasmuir Quarry, owned by Tarmac). Straight on and you pass buildings on your left that are the original Crossburn after which the roundabout…
Read MorePollock, Walter
Walter Wallace Pollock was born on 24th September 1918 at Hillcrest, Cairns Drive, Milngavie. His father, Walter Craig Pollock, was a colliery salesman and had married Catherine Russell Wallace in 1910. From the 1940 Valuation Roll, Hillcrest is 8 Cairns Drive: By the time of the 1921 Census, the family were in Bearsden, at a…
Read MoreKilroy, James
This post has been greatly improved by the assistance and generous access to materials of (in alphabetical order) Andrew Carson, John Hughes and Harry MacAnespie. Thank you to you all. James was born on 27th September 1913 at 40 Hill Street, Maryhill. This is now called Duncombe Street, and is to the left as you head down…
Read MoreDied from disease: George Dunlop, David McGavin, James Shaw
George Edward Dunlop George was born in 1920 in Betws garmon, Caernarvon. His father William, was a representative for a shoe manufacturer (on George’s Baptism record: “boot salesman”) His mother was Harriet Hewitt Croucher. By 1935 the family moved to Scotland, living at a house called Westbury, 1 Afton Crescent, Killermont, Bearsden. From 1939 to…
Read MoreRussell, James
I had originally intended to include this man under my post on those who died of disease but his story is interesting (and a little complex). James Ingram Russell is difficult to track on the Scotland’s People website – there is no obvious record of him in the births, censuses or deaths. From documents we know…
Read MoreMuir, John
John Retson Muir was born on 17th April 1923 at 16 Hayburn Street, Partick: His father, Andrew, was a dairyman and had married Ann Retson the previous year. He had a younger brother, Thomas. Between 1930 and 1935 the family moved to 27 South Erskine Park John attended Bearsden Academy. As a teenager he joined…
Read MoreChristie, Harry
Henry John Christie died on 14th April 1945 in fighting in north-west Germany. He was 28 years old and was a sergeant in 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, a tank unit of the British 2nd Army. The fighting was very fluid by this point. Germany was collapsing but resistance was unpredictable. One village might have…
Read MoreBrown, James
James Farmer Gibson Brown was born on 1st October 1921 at 5.30pm at 385 Sauchiehall Street. I think (but am not certain) 385 is the white door; note also the greeting from the worky for the Google Street View vehicle. James’s father was Thomas Gibson Brown and he had married Catherine Gwladys Jones in Edinburgh…
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