Argyll and Bute Council's photostream

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Rothesay during their 1847 Tour. Francis H. Groome, described the visit in the "Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical":

"The Queen and Prince Albert spent the night of August 17, 1847, in Rothesay Bay; and Rothesay she describes in her Journal as ` a pretty little town, built round a fine bay, with hills in the distance, and a fine harbour. The people cheered the "Duke of Rothesay " very much, and also called for a cheer for the "Princess of Great Britain. " When we went on deck after dinner, we found the whole town brilliantly illuminated, with every window lit up, which had a very pretty effect.'" (http://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townhistory551.html, (c) The Gazetteer for Scotland, 2009 and used with permission from The Gazetteer for Scotland at www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/).

Today's image shows a list of payments made by the Town Treasurer in connection with the visit. Many of the preparations are of a military nature. We can certainly understand why William MacNaughton would have been employed to watch the guns for six nights and a day, but can anyone explain to us why Daniel Cameron, carpenter, had to spend six days "placing cannons on logs"?

This week's image is from Dunoon District Cottage Hospital's "Admission Register and Journal" for 1885 to 1896. Not many of these journals survive (this is the only example held by Argyll and Bute Council Archives) which is a great pity as they are very interesting for both the family history researcher and for anyone with an interest in either medical or social history. For example, one woman was prescribed whisky to build her up!

This entry describes what happened to John McNicol, a labourer aged 50 who lived in Hillfoot Street, Dunoon:

"Admitted April 9. While working at the bottom of a deep drain the side gave way and buried the patient up to the neck. It was fully an hour before he could be extracted. On admission it was found that there was a simple commuted fracture of the left humerus and a commuted fracture of the left clavicle, while there was severe bruising of the whole of his body. The patient was suffering considerably from shock.

"The arm and clavicle were set in the usual way and suitable splints applied.

"2 oz. Brandy was given.

"April 14th Going on well. Fair union taking place.

"May 2. All going on well. There is considerable riding of the two ends of the clavicle but exact apposition has been found impossible owing to the fracture of the Humerus.

"13. Splints removed. Good union of Humerus - clavicle fairly well united tho' not entirely so. The arm was put up as for fracture of the clavicle.

"Discharged May 13 1885.

Other patients in the Register include Mrs Urquhart, aged 38, of Carolina Place, Dunoon; Catherine Ireland, aged 24, who was a servant at Broxwood, Sandbank; and Peter Paterson, a lather aged 64, from Castle Street, Dunoon. If you want to find out their stories we would love to see you here at the Archives.

Today we would like to take you back to Buteshire at the time of the General Election of 1841. This image shows the final page of the Rothesay Polling Book. It tells us who in Rothesay voted and who they voted for. Although the 1832 Reform Act increased the electorate of Scotland fourteen-fold (before the Act only one man in 125 could vote; after the Act it was one in eight), secret balloting was not introduced until the Ballot Act of 1872, so votes until then were cast in public.

If you look at the column headed "Remarks" on some lines you will see "Swore the Oath Schedule I" or "Swore the Oath Schedule K". So, Andrew Lyon (the fourth voter on the page) had to state, "I, Andrew Lyon, do solemnly swear, That I have not received or had, by myself or any person for my use or benefit, any sum or sums of money, office, place, or employment, gift or reward, or any promise of security for any money, office, or gift, in order to give my vote at this election."

The oath John Knox Napier had to take was, "I John Knox Napier do solemnly swear, That I am the individual described in the register for as John Knox Napier of Latham; that I am still the proprietor of the property for which I am so registered, and hold the same for my own benefit, and not in trust for or at the pleasure of any other person; and that I have not already voted at this election".

Archibald McConaghy had to take both oaths. Do you have any idea why some people had to take one or both oaths, while others had to take neither? Please tell us if you do.

You can see from the number of votes cast that Sir William Rae, Bart, received 134 votes while Henry Dunlop received 72. Sir William was the Member of Parliament for a number of constituencies over the course of his career. Buteshire was his last constituency: he died on 19th October 1842 at the age of 73. Henry Dunlop was very active in the Church and in the political and municipal life of Glasgow. He died in 1867 at the age of 68.

But what of the other names in the book - the voters themselves, and the Polling Sheriff and Polling Clerk, Thomas Cleghorn and Archibald MacNeill? Are any of these your ancestors? Please tell us what became of them. Do you have ancestors from Bute who are not listed here? They may be listed on one of the other pages in the book. Why not come to the Archives and have a look for yourself?

Our latest image is from the "Island of Bute War Memorial Volume for The Great War, 1914-1919", published by The Rothesay War Memorial Committee.

The introduction to the volume tells us that, "On Wednesday 5th August, 1914 the Bute Battery was mobilised at Rothesay headquarters, and a week later (12th), fully equipped, embarked at Rothesay for Greenock and Inverness, in all some 300 men, with 130 horses, 4 guns, wagons and ammunition. Of this number 11 were officers, 30 non -commissioned officers, and of the men about 250 were Butemen, the remainder belonging to Largs, Cumbrae, etc.....

"....Up till October the din of battle seemed far away, and only the occasional appearance of a wounded warrior, returning to recruit, brought the horror of war nearer home, until, on 9th October, the first batch of the wounded from sea and land began to arrive at Mount Stuart, which the Marquis of Bute gave up for an Hospital. Shortly afterwards was recorded what seems to be the first instance of a Buteman making the supreme sacrifice in the Great War, when Corporal Donald Maclean Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, fell in France on 21st October, 1914. Shortly afterwards, 4th November, another hero fell - Captain Claude Gray Buchanan, of the 35th Sikhs. These are the only two deaths recorded in 1914."

Sadly the numbers of men lost rose steadily for several years. In 1915 there were 39 Butemen killed; 48 died in 1916; 109 in 1917; 97 in 1918; and 14 in 1919. The last man to fall in battle was Trooper John Haig, Dragoon Guards, on 19th May 1919 in India.

We have a number of Rolls of Honour here in the Archives but we have never before seen one that included pictures of the fallen soldiers. Do you know of any others? We would love to hear about them, particularly if they are for the Argyll and Bute Area. Or perhaps you have a Bute ancestor who fought for his country in World War One. You might be able to find his photograph in this book - many of the entries have pictures attached. Or maybe you have heard tales of war passed down through the generations from one of these men. If you do, please tell them to us too

This Week we are looking for your help with another mystery photograph. All we know is that this is a shinty team who must have been successful in a match or tournament as the man in the centre is holding a silver cup. The year 1899 has been written on the back of the photo, which was donated with a number of other photographs mostly showing people and scenes in and around Inveraray.

Can you tell us if this picture shows the Inveraray Shinty Club in 1899? The Club was formed on 12th January 1877 at a meeting in the Argyll Arms in Inveraray, so it certainly existed at the time the picture was taken, but Inveraray did not win the Camanachd Cup until 1925. Does the cup in the photograph look like it could be the Camanachd Cup? If it does, then we must be looking at some other club - can you tell us which one? We'd really love to know.