Highlanders Plaque

There's a plaque on display in Inverclyde Heritage Hub which has come from the now demolished Highlanders Academy in Greenock.  On the wall of the Hub is a photograph of the original Highlanders' Academy in Roxburgh Street, Greenock.

Source - Inverclyde Heritage Hub

The plaque is quite worn in places and is very wordy, but I've tried my best to transcribe what it says ... here goes!

This Public School which provides accommodation for 1015 scholars was … anno domini MDCCCLXXXVII, the jubilee year of the reign of her most gracious majesty, Queen Victoria.

Opened by the School Board of the Burgh of Greenock to reinstate the original Highlanders Academy situated in Roxburgh Street which had been founded by the Highlanders' Church and School Accommodation Society, the building of the Academy having been transferred by the Directors of the Society to the School Board in accordance with the Education Scotland Act 1872.

They were sold by the … to the Caledonian Railway Company and the price was applied by the Board to build and furnish the new Academy.  The foundation stone of which was laid by

Alexander Scott Mories Esq, Chairman of the Board on XVII September MDCCCLXXXVI being the Jubilee year of the original Academy, it having been decided to retain the name and thus transmit to coming generations the record of the fame of The Highlanders Academy.

Prominent among the members of the Society was Mr Daniel Macarthur, Merchant, who was for upwards of 17 years its energetic Acting Treasurer.

In remembrance of his long connection with the Society, Mr Macarthur's family have, with the sanction of the School Board, founded a prize to be styled The Macarthur Memorial Prize, to be awarded annually after competition, to the best scholar in the Academy.

The adjoining memorial plate inserted in the foundation stone of the original Academy was recovered on the demolition of the building by the Railway Company, as were also two glass vases containing newspapers of the day, documents connected with the Society, current coins of the realm, etc. Near this spot the vases have again been deposited.

This is an old picture of the Highlanders Academy in Mount Pleasant Street, Greenock recently demolished.

The Heritage Hub, in Cathcart Street in Greenock (just across from the James Watt Bar) is a fascinating place to visit.  As well as lots of fantastic pictures, films and artefacts from the area's past, there are copies of Lloyds Registers of Shipping, Trade Directories for the area and lots of books on every aspect of local history.  Anyone interested in researching local family history will find a great variety of resources to help. (Note - unfortunately now closed.)

Old School Bell, Gourock

This is the old school bell of the former Gourock Eastern School. 

The Eastern School was built here in 1876 and demolished in 1962.  A block of high-rise flats, Eastern View, now occupies the site just across from Gourock Park and the old Gourock burying ground.

In my schooldays, the bell was rung in the morning, at interval time, lunch time and, best of all, at the end of the school day!  It was usually the school janitor's job to ring the bell.  It is a nostalgic reminder of the school and there's a plaque which reads -

This is the bell from the

Eastern School which stood

on this site from 1876 - 1962

"Welcome Home"

The bell has the makers name on it - John C Wilson & Co, Founders, Glasgow AD 1894.  They were part of the Gorbals Brass & Bell Foundry of Glasgow and there's a fabulous website of the Whiting Society of Ringers where you can read all about the Foundry's history.

Newark Castle, Port Glasgow

If you are going to be visiting Inverclyde over the summer months, then the one place not to miss is Newark Castle in Port Glasgow.

Parts of Newark Castle date back to the 15th century, but it was adapted and added to over the years.

I love looking at the old timbers in the castle.  The roof of the upstairs gallery is spectacular.  When conservators dated the roof timbers they found that they were much older that the actual building and had been taken from somewhere else and reused here - recycling even then!  You can see numeral carved into this one - others have them too.  It is thought this was to help the carpenters assemble the roof when it was being built.

This old door certainly shows its age, but is absolutely wonderful.

Please don't leave Newark Castle off your Inverclyde itinerary.  The Castle is looked after by Historic Environment Scotland.  Check their site for opening times and entry prices.

Admiralty Anchor, Greenock

This is the Admiralty Anchor which is set in its own little garden near the Custom House in Greenock.

There's a plaque which reads -

This anchor was presented

to the town

by the Admiralty in 1972

to mark the long association

between the Royal Navy

and the port of Greenock

It is a beautiful piece of sculpture and very apt for this area.

Darroch Mausoleum, Gourock

Hidden away in Gourock Park is a memorial to the family who gifted the land to the local people - the Darrochs.

  

This is the Darroch Mausoleum or Vault.

It is the final resting place of many of the family members who once lived in this beautiful setting.  Duncan Darroch, who was said to have made his money in the West Indies, bought the land from the Stewarts of Castlemilk in 1784.  The original Gourock Castle, seat of the Finnart Stewarts was within these grounds, but was destroyed before Duncan Darroch bought the land.  A look at old maps shows where it was once thought to be, near the burn (stream) that runs through the park.

Duncan Darroch settled there with his family and eventually his descendants donated the land to the people of Gourock.  It used to be called Darroch Park, but for some reason the name was changed to Gourock Park.  Gourock House was bought by the town council, but was demolished in the 1940s.

The mausoleum has been allowed to remain.  In 'Memorials of Clutha; Pencillings of the Clyde' (1842), the author, Elvira Anna Phipps writes of a visit there -

"Above the glen, is a wild, romantic spot, thickly wooded, and in this recess is the family mausoleum.  It is pleasant, indeed, to visit the quiet resting place of the dead, when you can do so "in sure and certain hope" that the departed ones are waiting for a glorious resurrection … Hence I admire the simple tablets which this family have reared."

Let's hope that the Mausoleum lasts for some time to come as a reminder of the family who gave this lovely place to the people of Gourock.

The Inchgreen Cranes

I called them the Three Graces.

Until July last year these three cranes graced the Clyde shore at the Inchgreen Dry Dock between Port Glasgow and Greenock.  Two were luffing cranes.

They were a wonderful part of the local skyline, and a constant reminder of the Clyde's great days as busy port and shipbuilding centre.  I miss seeing them.

There are some fabulous pictures and lots of technical information about the Inchgreen Graving Dock here.  It was built in the 1960s as a response to the increasing size of ships being built.

One crane still had its maker's plate - William Arrol & Co.

There are various films online showing their demolition - I haven't been able to watch them.

New Toll Boys Memorial in Port Glasgow

A new memorial to the Toll Boys has been erected at the west end of Robert Street in Port Glasgow.
 

The original plaque has been removed from a tenement wall and placed in a beautiful monument in the little garden nearby.  You can read the names on the plaque on my previous post here or click on the photo below to enlarge it.

It is a very fitting monument to those from the area who gave their lives in World War 1 and much easier to locate.

There is a wonderful searchable site called Inverclyde's Great War which has, as well as the names of all the locals who died in World War 1, many other resources connected with the war.  There is a page dedicated to the Toll Boys Memorial.

Famous wardrobe malfunction

I don't suppose when the Countess of Salisbury's garter fell down while she was dancing with King Edward III sometime in the 1340s she ever thought that the occasion would still be talked about over 670 years later.  But it is! 

Coat of Arms above the north door of Greenock Custom House

A quick glance at the Scottish version of the royal arms shows the usual unicorn, Scotland's national animal, and the lion, that of England.  This recently refurbished version appears over the north door of Greenock's Custom House.  It really is bright and absolutely gorgeous!  Look at the thistles between the unicorn and the motto and the red roses on the other side.

But it is the motto in the middle which tells the story of the Countess of Salisbury's unfortunate wardrobe malfunction.  

The words "Honi soit qui mal y pense" are clearly visible and can be translated as "Shame be to him who thinks evil of it" - which are supposed to have been the words uttered by the then King - Edward III who was dancing when the Countess of Salsibury's garter slipped.  Being a gentleman, he picked it up and turning to the laughing crowd shamed them with his words.

Edward III as Head of Order of the Garter - source

The phrase then became the motto of the Order of the Garter - a special order or chivalry whose members are chosen by the monarch.  The current members still parade in Windsor on "Garter Day" in dark blue cloaks (just like the one in the picture above), fancy hats with white ostrich feathers and with the badge of the order, the insignia on their cloaks.  There are some great photographs of Queen Elizabeth II and her family in the procession here.

Greenock Custom House

There's another motto on a scroll at the bottom of the sculpture "Dieu et mon droit" (God and my right) which is the monarch's motto.

5 things to see in Inverkip

The village of Inverkip in Inverclyde is a wonderful mixture of the old and the new and there are a couple of things that you shouldn't miss if you visit.

Impossible to miss is the Marina - Kip Marina has over 600 berths containing a wonderful variety of yachts of all sizes.  In summer it is nice to walk around the marina admiring the boats and watching the comings and goings in and out of the Marina, or sit and enjoy a some food and a glass of wine in the Chartroom restaurant.  Kip Marina is host to Scotland's Boat Show.  There's quite a lot of new housing in this area too.

Inverkip's main street is narrow and despite the parked cars and occasional bus, still gives you the idea of what the village would have been like in the past, with small houses and narrow lanes leading from them.  With lots of new housing up on the hill behind the village, it is mostly now a commuter village with regular transport links to Glasgow.  The main street also boasts the Inverkip Hotel, a former coaching inn, now a family run business with a great atmosphere and serving wonderful food.

Inverkip War Memorial - situated in a little car park on the edge of the village, on the banks of the River Clyde, this is a poignant reminder that despite being a small village, there were many local men who gave their lives in Britain's wars.  A lot of work has been done recently researching the names on the Memorial, which you can take a look here.

There has been a place of worship in Inverkip (sometimes written as Innerkip) since 1170.  The present Inverkip Parish Church (Church of Scotland) was built in  1806.  The building has a fascinating history and it is worth having a look at the Church website to read all about it.  Notice the fake window at the front - cute!  There is something quite plain, solid and almost comforting about this building - not sure why it makes me feel like that.

If, like me, you are fascinated by graveyards, then a visit to Inverkip graveyard (just up from the Church) will not disappoint.  The Shaw Stewarts of Ardgowan (local landowning family descended from an illegitimate son of King Robert III who granted the land in 1403) had their family mausoleum here.  It is a bit spooky and it is thought that the mausoleum was built from some of the stones from the original 12th century church (Auldchurch). 

All the Shaw Stewart memorial tablets are the same - which could perhaps mean that the originals were taken away and replaced.  The Shaw Stewarts built a private chapel (St Michael and All Angels, Episcopalian)  near Ardgowan House in the 1850s - so perhaps they were taken there.

Inverkip Graveyard also contains a wonderful memorial to James "Paraffin" Young and his wife, Mary, who once lived at Kelly House near Inverkip.

So, that's five things to do in Inverkip.  On a sunny day there are lovely views across the Clyde to sit and contemplate.  For the more active, there are plenty of walks and trails around the area or you could just sit back and relax in one of the great cafes and restaurants in the village.

Inverkip has a marvellous history - I'm sure I'll be writing some more posts about this village in the not too distant future!

Important Greenock Memorial

I recently came across some extra information about the memorial stone to Greenock artist John Fleming (1792 - 1845).  It is situated in the west wall of the Duncan Street burying ground in Greenock.  The photographs show how badly eroded the stone now is.  It would be a shame if such an important Greenock artist had no permanent memorial in the town, but time and weather are taking their toll on this gravestone.

The memorial stone is so badly eroded that it is difficult to make out the inscriptions, but it is interesting to know what was originally depicted -

"It consists of a palette and brushes sculptured in white marble by Mr Mossman of Glasgow, and having a variegated marble tablet beneath …".

It would appear that the palette is inscribed with the words "Lakes of Scotland" referring to a work of that name which consisted of engravings by Joseph Swan of Glasgow of John Fleming's sketches.  Swan also illustrated "Strathclutha" from Fleming's landscape paintings.  Sixty gentlemen subscribed to the monument which also bears the words "In memory of John Fleming, artist, who died at Greenock, 16^th February, 1845.  Erected by a few friends and admirers of his genius."

The sculptor, Mossman, was part of a family of famous Glasgow sculptors.  You can read more about them here.  It is such a shame that this memorial stone is slowly being allowed to decay, soon it will be almost unrecognisable.