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Schoolhill
13 Old houses skirting St. Nicholas churchyard once formed part of the south side of Schoolhill. They were demolished in 1884-85 as part of a street widening scheme and the present wall and railing stand in their place. On the other side of Schoolhill (centre) can be seen the roof and turrets of George Jamesone's House, demolished in 1886.
The book Aberdeen in Byegone Days: Views of Streets and Buildings, etc. with Letterpress Description (1910) by Robert Anderson (page 26) suggests that the building in the centre of this image was the home of Burnett Carr, the grave-digger and assistant to the sexton of St. Nicholas Church.
Newspaper references indicate that Carr, a well known figure, died on 31st May 1844 (Aberdeen Journal, 5th June 1844, page 3, column 2).
This photograph looks north and shows the back of Carr's old house. Schoolhill from St. Nicholas Churchyard
120 This photograph taken in 1880 from St. Nicholas Churchyard looks north showing a row of houses which stood between it and Schoolhill.
These houses were demolished around 1884 as part of an improvement scheme to widen Schoolhill - named after the old Grammar School which stood nearby.
A dwarf wall with ornamental railings was erected in place of these buildings and a porter's lodge was removed from Robert Gordon's College to form a lodge for the sexton at the entrance to the churchyard.
The book Aberdeen in Byegone Days: Views of Streets and Buildings, etc. with Letterpress Description (1910) by Robert Anderson (page 26) suggests that the building in the centre of this image was the home of Burnett Carr, the grave-digger and assistant to the sexton of St. Nicholas Church.
Newspaper references indicate that Carr, a well known figure, died on 31st May 1844 (Aberdeen Journal, 5th June 1844, page 3, column 2).
This photograph looks north and shows the back of Carr's old house. H. Company, 7th Gordon Highlanders
281 H. Company, 7th Gordon Highlanders leaving Culter for War Service. August 6th 1914 Schoolhill
756 These old houses skirting St. Nicholas Churchyard once formed part of the south side of Schoolhill. This photograph looks south, across Schoolhill, from in front of George Jamesone's House.
The shown buildings were demolished in 1884-85 as part of a street widening scheme and a low wall and railing now stand in their place. George Jamesone's House, on the other side of of the street, was demolished in 1886.
The book Aberdeen in Byegone Days: Views of Streets and Buildings, etc. with Letterpress Description (1910) by Robert Anderson (page 26) suggests that the building in the centre of this image was the home of Burnett Carr, the grave-digger and assistant to the sexton of St. Nicholas Church.
Newspaper references indicate that Carr, a well known figure, died on 31st May 1844 (Aberdeen Journal, 5th June 1844, page 3, column 2). Kelman Memorial Church, Culter
996 Kelman Memorial Church, Culter - in 1843 at the Disruption, the Rev. Robert Thomson set up a Free Church congregation in Culter. They worshipped at a building at Contlaw, 3 miles from the village. In 1893, the congregation, under the Rev. John Kelman, agreed that a more central site was required. The foundation stone was laid on 28 April 1894 and the church, designed by John Rust, was opened on 16 February 1895. This snowy scene shows the Norman style of architecture of the church, which was constructed of granite from Rubislaw Quarry, Aberdeen. After the reunion of the Free Church with the Church of Scotland in October 1929, the decision was taken to rename this church the Kelman Memorial Church in remembrance of Rev. Dr. Kelman, who had died only a few months earlier. This left 2 Church of Scotland churches in Culter but, in March 1999, St. Peter's and Kelman Memorial were amalgamated to form Peterculter Parish Church, with this building chosen to continue for the future. St. Peter's may become a heritage museum. Dunecht Smiddy
1146 Blacksmiths in the smiddy at Dunecht. This shop appears to have been fairly busy, employing as it did, 3 blacksmiths. They were called upon for all sorts of metal related jobs. All the tools of the trade can be noted, including 2 anvils for hammering and a main furnace (centre of picture). All 3 blacksmiths are seen here wearing leather aprons, which protected them from the hot flying sparks. No industrial glasses were in use however at this time, and the traditional flat bonnet is still the norm.
Correspondent David Christie has identified the blacksmith on the left as James Stephenson Smith, his great grandfather. David explains that Smith worked as a blacksmith for Dunecht Estate from 1925 to 1929 and so this dates the photograph to this period. His great grandfather also worked at other properties belonging to the estate, such as renovations of Dunnottar Castle. Smith had to give up working as a Blacksmith after breaking his leg in a fall while working there.
He subsequently worked as a driver for the Dunecht Garage, which ran buses at the time, and later for the W. Alexander & Sons bus operating firm.
There is an article about this image by Hilary Simpson in the Evening Express of 17 September 1986. It details the memories of readers Margaret Skene and John Gray. Margaret's grandfather was Alexander Innes, the figure in the middle. On the right is Bill Innes, a son of Alexander. They are said to have run the smiddy with the assistance of James Smith.
The article also explains that the image was originally a postcard. One of a series detailing the various trades active on the Dunecht estate of Lord Cowdray.
(Many thanks to David for getting in touch and providing additional information and making us aware of the newspaper article.) The Aberdeenshire Canal
1789 This drawing shows a barge being pulled by two horses along the Aberdeenshire Canal, with the twin spires of St. Machar Cathedral in the background.
The Aberdeenshire Canal was opened in 1805 and ran for 18 miles from Aberdeen to Port Elphinstone, near Inverurie. It was first proposed in 1795 by various landed proprietors as a means of providing better transport connections for the rural interior of Aberdeenshire.
The new waterway was fed by the River Don and various streams and springs. Barges transported goods and fly boats or gig boats carried passengers.
In 1840, the goods transported included nearly 4000 tons of lime, 5000 tons of coal, 1124 tons of meal, 54 tons of salt, 110 tons of wood, 51 tons of granite, 43 tons of livestock and 8 tons of whisky. Passenger traffic was catered for by two iron boats, which made the trip twice a day in summer and once a day in winter. It cost 2 shillings (10p.) for the full journey or 2d. (about a half pence) per mile.
As a result of the number of locks to be negotiated at the Aberdeen end, passengers disembarked at the Boathouse at Kittybrewster, having completed the journey in 2 and a half hours. Goods traffic was handled by various barges, some of which belonged to the canal company. It took them 10-14 hours to complete their passage to Aberdeen Harbour. There were facilities for changing the horses at Dyce and Kintore.
In his book The Annals of Woodside and Newhills Patrick Morgan remarks that the canal "was a great convenience to the inhabitants, and a luxury to the boys for bathing in summer and skating in winter." There is no mention of girls using the canal for leisure purposes - perhaps they were required to stay at home and help with housework instead.
The canal increased the prosperity of the area that it served but it was never a huge financial success for its owners. Also it was about to be overtaken by a much speedier rival. Its demise as in other parts of the country was largely brought about by the coming of the railways. The Aberdeenshire Canal was bought over by the Great North of Scotland Railway and finally closed in 1854. The company gave £1000 as compensation for depriving the inhabitants of Woodside of the privilege of the Canal and to assist in obtaining a supply of water from other sources.
There is very little physical evidence to remind us that the Aberdeenshire Canal ever existed. However there is one quite substantial remnant which lies close to Great Northern Road - Warrack's Bridge was one of the original canal bridges and looking over the west side of the bridge the curve of the canal bed can clearly be seen. The Aberdeenshire Canal
2008 This drawing shows a barge being pulled by two horses along the Aberdeenshire Canal, with the twin spires of St. Machar Cathedral in the background. The canal ran for 19 miles from Aberdeen Harbour to Port Elphinstone, near Inverurie, and was first proposed in 1795 by various landed proprietors as a means of providing better transport connections for the rural interior of Aberdeenshire. It was opened in 1805. Passenger traffic was catered for by two iron boats, which made the trip twice a day in summer and once a day in winter. It cost 2 shillings (10p.) for the full journey or 2d. (about a half pence) per mile. Because there were several locks to be negotiated at the Aberdeen end, passengers disembarked at the Boathouse at Kittybrewster, having completed the journey in 2 and a half hours. Goods traffic was handled by various barges, some of which belonged to the canal company. It took them 10-14 hours to complete their passage to Aberdeen Harbour. There were facilities for changing the horses at Dyce and Kintore. In 1840, the goods transported included nearly 4000 tons of lime, 5000 tons of coal, 1124 tons of meal, 54 tons of salt, 110 tons of wood, 51 tons of granite, 43 tons of livestock and 8 tons of whisky. The canal was purchased by the Great North of Scotland Railway Company and it closed in 1854, when the railway line was opened using part of the old canal route. There are still some remnants of the canal to be seen including milestones and the street names Canal Street and Terrace recall its existence. The Bridewell
2089 The Bridewell or West Prison, Rose Street - the Bridewell stood in Rose Street, off the west end of Union Street. This photo was taken by William Garey, about 1868, when the building was being demolished. Bridewell was a name adopted by many institutions and recalls a London building dedicated to St. Bride which became used as a House of Correction. This building, designed by James Burn, was opened on 2 October 1809, as a House of Correction. It was surrounded by a 14 foot high wall with a garden enclosed. The gateway had a porter's lodge and guardhouse attached. There were 5 floors with the topmost being the hospital and storerooms. Each floor was divided by a gallery which ran the whole length of the building with a large windos at each end. On one side of the gallery there were 11 cells for work and on the other side 14 cells used for sleeping. Each work cell had 2 long narrow windows, while the sleeping cells only had one window. When the new Court House and jail were built in 1819 and named the East Prison, the Bridewell eventually became known as the West Prison. By the 1860s, the East Prison was adequate to cater for the number of inmates and the West Prison was closed in 1864. The building was demolished and its site became the works of James Garvie and Sons, carpenters and cabinetmakers. Stop 4: Health Services for Women and Children - Agnes Thomson (1880-1952) Clementina Esslemont OBE (1864-1958) Fenella Paton (1901-1945) and Mary Esslemont (1891-1984)
2303 The first sick children's hospital on site of former Naval Surgeon's Dr Blaikie surgery on 6-8 Castle Terrace in 1877 extended to take in Castle Brae Chapel. An unsung heroine that worked on this site is Dr Agnes Thomson (nee Baxter) a graduate from Aberdeen University who served as an anaesthetist at the Sick Children's and Maternity Hospitals during the First World War. Agnes Thomson was instrumental in founding the Aberdeen Mother and Baby Home and volunteered her services to the Mother and Child Welfare Association, which was established to address the shockingly high death rate of babies and toddlers in the east end of Aberdeen.
Throughout her life, Clementina Esslemont OBE was a champion of liberal ideas and good causes and well known for her no-nonsense approach to social service provision. One of her principal achievements was the foundation of the Aberdeen Mother and Child Welfare Association in 1909, which played an important role in social service and public health provision in the City of Aberdeen until the creation of the Public Health Department in 1949. She was also involved in the establishment of a model block of tenements on the Spital, Aberdeen, in the formation of Aberdeen Lads' Club, St Katherine's Club, and the nursery school movement.
Dr Mary Esslemont, one of Clementina Esslemont's daughters, worked as a Gynaecologist at the hospital. Mary did much to improve the care and wellbeing for mothers and babies with her determination and hard work. As well as being the Gynaecologist she also ran prenatal and family planning clinics. Mary was an advocate of women's rights, health education and family planning. She was the first female president of the Student University Council and the first woman to be president of Aberdeen Liberal Association in 1954. Awarded the CBE in 1955, Aberdeen City Council bestowed the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen in 1981.
Aberdeen has also led the way in family planning with a remarkable woman at the forefront of fertility control. Pioneer Fenella Paton opened Aberdeen's first family planning clinic in 1926 at Gerrard street. The clinic, the first of its kind in Scotland, moved to new premises in Castle Street in 1948. But prior to these clinics and innovations in family planning there were large families and mothers that needed to go out to work and at our next stop an initiative was put in place to help these working women.
Memories:
Norma Michie speaking about Mary Esslemont
Audrey's memories of the Family Planning Clinic
Denise's memory of the Family Planning Clinic
Heather's memories of Ina Lawrence and the Children's Hospital
Alma Duncan's memories of Cocky Hunters Stop 7: Miss Bella Walker (1887-1962) and Miss Elsie Moffat (1894-1985) St Katherine's club, West North Street, (now Lemon Tree building)
2306 The next stop is the building now known as the Lemon Tree but this was built especially for St Katherine's Club as is still known affectionately by the older generation as St Kay's.
St Katherine's Club was originally set up in October 1917 for working class girls to have a comfortable meeting place away from the crowded and dismal conditions of their homes during WW1. Held in two rooms in a tenement in the Shiprow, the club was founded by Miss Bella Walker and Miss Elsie Moffat and they provided an environment which was at once domestic, educational and recreational. There were classes in home craft, art and craft, drama and literature, and physical education. The club grew to a membership of over 500 until it moved to the purpose-built YWCA building at 5 West North Street in 1937. It continued to grow and evolved as the needs arose. In the 1960s there was a greater awareness of adolescent, social and personal issues and the 'Open Club' was set up. In 1990 with the money from the sale of the building, the St Katherine's Trust was established and has met twice yearly to make financial donations to local organisations and groups.
Aberdeen Women's Centre, Shoe Lane (1989-2006)
In the former Caretaker's flat of the St Katherine's Club, Aberdeen Women's Centre offered a women-only space for women's groups and classes to meet. With urban aid funding came staff which included the city's first Minority Ethnic Development Worker for women.
Memories:
Memories of the St Katherine's Club 1
Memories of the St Katherine's Club 2 Stop 12: Isabella Burgess (1930-1933), Lord Provost Margaret Farquhar CBE (1996-1999) and Margaret Smith Council Leader (1996-1999)
2311 Our final stop is back at the Town House, Broad Street, Aberdeen, where in 1930 Isabella Burgess was the first woman to be elected onto Aberdeen City Council. Miss Burgess was an Independent and represented the Gilcomston Ward until 1933, when she retired owing to ill health. She had spent her working life in the teaching profession and was the first Secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland for the Aberdeen branch.
After nearly 800 years Aberdeen got its first woman Lord Provost when Margaret Farquhar CBE was elected in 1996 after having served as a councillor in the Northfield ward for 25 years.
The first woman ever to become the leader of Aberdeen City Council was Margaret Smith who was elected in 1996 and served until 1999 when she then went on to become Lord Provost until 2002.
Memories:
Margaret Farquhar speaking about her career in politics
Margaret Smith discusses her career in politics Union Street Looking East
2312 An Adelphi Series postcard looking east down Union Street. Trams for Rosemount and Queen's Cross can be seen in the centre of the image.
The premises of Knowles & Son, fruit growers and importers, can be seen on the right at 77 Union Street. They moved into this shop, previously occupied by booksellers Messers Brown & Co. in 1893.
A sign for Sangster & Henderson's Warehouse is visible high up on the side of a building in the background and the 2nd statue of Queen Victoria is visible in its original location at the junction with St Nicholas Street.
The postcard is number 148 from the Adelphi Real Photographic Series. Treasure 33: The Pedigree of the Cruickshanks of Stracathro
2321 Among the Local Studies collection of family trees is a chart from 1847 entitled Pedigree of the Cruickshanks of Stracathro. The title initially referred to the Cruickshanks of Langley Park but this has been scored out and replaced with Stracathro. A pedigree is a form of genealogical table. Collections of pedigrees were first made in the 15th century and, according to The Oxford Companion, were "a matter of aristocratic pride and of practical necessity for legal purposes". The term pedigree comes from the French 'pied de grue', meaning crane's foot, due to the resemblance of the genealogical lines to the thin legs and feet of the bird.
The pedigree of the Cruickshanks was compiled by E. G. G. Cruickshank, who features in the 10th generation detailed on the table.
The pedigree begins with the earliest ancestor at the top of the document with lines dropping down to succeeding generations. Each generation is given a Roman numeral and individuals within each generation are assigned Arabic numbers. The pedigree begins with "John Cruickshank first in Strathspey m. Mary Cumming of Elgin" and extends down to an incomplete 12th generation. The individuals in the 11th generation were mostly born in the 1870s.
The information listed on a family tree is dependent on the sources available and the purpose for which it was created. The information given on the Cruickshank's pedigree varies but typically includes an individual's date of birth, marriage details and date of death. Additional information is also supplied as is the case with the 7th generation of Cruickshanks - Margaret Helen is described as the daughter of Rev. Gerard of Aberdeen, author of a book whose title is unreadable, and sister to a Colonel Gerald. Details of army service are supplied for some individuals and many of the Cruickshanks were involved in the administration of India or served in the army there.
The tiny handwriting, use of abbreviations and sparse punctuation makes the document challenging to read so familiarity with the subject matter and names of places is useful. A later interpreter of the document has made a number of annotations in pencil. For example, one of the later additions points to an individual and reads "Is this W. Robertson of Auchinroath? Yes!"
In addition to a listing of descendants the pedigree is annotated with a number of original notes and a description of a coat of arms. The latin motto of Cavendo tutus translates as 'Safe through caution'. One note, quoting "an old paper", describes from where the family came prior to being in Strathspey. A note on the other side of the chart states that "distinguished Officer and Author the late Colonel Stewart of Garth" links the family to the Royal Family of Stewart and suggests the name of Cruickshank derives from "some deformity in the first cadet of the house."
Attached to the document is a letter dated 23 October 1927 from a Jim Bulloch to City Librarian G. M. Fraser. Bulloch explains that he got the pedigree from a Mr. Mackintosh of Elgin, thinks it is quite rare and that the library might like it for its collection. It has stayed in the Local Studies collection to this day.
The Gazetteer for Scotland website states that in 1775 Patrick Cruickshank, listed at No. 11 of the 7th generation, bought the estate of Stracathro in Angus. The property was subsequently inherited by his brother Alexander Cruickshank (1764 - 1846). Alexander hired the Aberdeen architect Archibald Simpson to build Stracathro House between 1824 and 1827. The Palladian Scottish country house still exists today.
University College London's Legacies of British Slave-ownership website indicates that Patrick and Alexander, and two other Cruickshank brothers, owned plantations on the Caribbean island of St Vincent that used slave labour. See Alexander Cruickshank's entry in the database here: 'Alexander Cruikshank of Stracathro', Legacies of British Slave-ownership database, http://wwwdepts-live.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/8590 [accessed 9th June 2020]. In 1833 when Britain abolished the ownership of slaves the government granted £20 million in compensation to former slave-owners. Alexander Cruickshank made three claims for compensation, two of which were successful.
In 1874, Stracathro House and estate were sold to Sir James Bannerman, Lord Provost of Glasgow, and father of Prime Minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. The country house was later used as a World War II hospital and owned by Tay Health Board before being sold to private owners in 2003. Aberdeen Women's Alliance: Memories of the St Katherine's Club 2
2358 Members of the St Katherine's Club give their memories. In Memoriam St. Nicholas House 1970-2011: 2
2440 Junction of St. Nicholas Street, George Street and Upperkirkgate showing vacant land waiting for development. c.1965. Treasure 31: Hays' Isometrical View of Aberdeen 1850
2586 In September 1850 an advert appeared in the local papers of Aberdeen for "Hays' Isometrical View of Aberdeen, giving a Distinct and Correct View of the Whole City and Environs". We hold copy of the plan from 1850 in our Local Studies collection.
The plan was available to purchase for 3s. 6d. and measured 34 inches by 19 inches. Carvers and gilders, J. & J. Hays, had premises at 2 Market Street where they also sold prints and optical instruments. At the bottom left of the image we see the words George Wilson, Delt. (abbreviation of delineator, i.e. the artist). George Wilson was to find fame a few years later as George Washington Wilson when he became one of Scotland's premier photographers.
George Washington Wilson
George Washington Wilson was born in 1823 at Waulkmill of Carnousie in Banffshire and left school at 12 years of age to be an apprentice carpenter. He practised his artistic skills by drawing portraits of friends and neighbours and, after training at art schools in Edinburgh and London, he returned to Aberdeen to become an art teacher and portrait painter.
By the late 1840's Wilson was attracted by the work of Fox Talbot in the new art of photography and after initial experiments with a homemade camera, he advertised a business offering photographic portraits before eventually expanding into landscape photography.
A Bird's Eye View of History
Wilson created this panoramic view of the city by making numerous sketches from the roofs of high buildings and then merging them into one comprehensive drawing. We are looking north across the city from the harbour with Union Street running horizontally across the centre and Old Aberdeen in the far distance. We can see how small the city actually was at this time - open fields are visible just to the north of the west end of Union Street.
A key to the most prominent buildings was provided and it is interesting to see which buildings have survived until today, often with additions, and which had yet to be built. Robert Gordon's Hospital (now College), Marischal College, and various churches including the Triple Kirks and St Nicholas East and West are all still standing but the West Prison, Castlehill Barracks and the Poorhouse have been demolished.
Bird's Eye View 1889
In December 1889, the Aberdeen Free Press offered its readers an updated version of the Bird's Eye View as a supplement to their newspaper. Numerous changes to the landscape of the city had taken place since Wilson's view. 199 Union Street
2800 F.W. Woolworth & Co., Ltd. at 119 Union Street in 1937. This first 3d and 6d department store in Aberdeen opened at 50-52 St. Nicholas Street on Saturday 18th October 1919. The lowest price was 1d and nothing cost more than 6d (2 and a half pence). Although they were an American company, goods were of British manufacture and straight from the factory - hence the low prices. Crowds of spectators had peered through the windows before the opening preview on the Friday afternoon when over 35,000 people visited the premises. On the Saturday, the shop was open till 9pm and was so thronged that a policeman had to regulate the crowds. Around 1927, this second store was opened at 119 Union Street and this 1937 photograph still shows the 3d and 6d advertising and window displays of pyramids of pans, tins and other household goods. "Woolies" moved to the Bon Accord Centre when it opened in 1990 and these Union Street premises have later been occupied by McDonalds, while the St. Nicholas Street premises were demolished for the St. Nicholas Centre. OTHER FACTS
2895 1. Bonnie Prince Charlie was half Polish. His mother was Maria Klementyna Sobieska.
2. Marie Curie was from Poland. She discovered the two elements - radium and polonium. These elements are used in treatment for Cancer. Curie is the ambassador for the 'Marie Curie Foundation' which provides aid for cancer patients.
3. A memorial for Jan Karski can be found in the Aberdeen University. Jan was a famous WW2 resistance hero.
4. Frederic Chopin (famous music composer) visited Scotland in 1849 and his short holiday in Edinburgh is marked by a plaque on the wall of a house in Warriston Crescent
5. Polish war veteran graves and memorials can be found all over Scotland
6. There was a Polish Medical School in Edinburgh University in February 1941; which trained soldiers to become doctors
7. Queen Mary's House in St. Andrews is made from timber from Gdansk
The image on the left is a portrait of Prince Charles Edward Stuart by Louis Gabriel Blanchet, oil on canvas, 1738 (NPG 5517) © National Portrait Gallery, London. It is used here with their Creative Commons image licence (CC BY-NC-ND). The image is available to view on the National Portrait Gallery website here. Laird Studio portrait of a soldier
3607 This photograph has kindly be sent to the Local Studies team by correspondent Graeme Lean, who shared the following comments with us:
"It was taken at Laird Studios 246 Union St Aberdeen in November 1918. The subject is my grandfather Albert Lean, an Australian soldier who was wounded in France on 29 Sept 1918. Following hospital treatment in England he was transferred to the Ist Scottish General Hospital and discharged from there in November 1918.
Another photo in the collection taken at Laird Studio (see here) appears to include the same furniture item that my grandfather was seated on." Coronavirus Aberdeen (I): 2
3737 A photograph by Roddy Millar, taken 24/03/2020, from a series showing the Coronavirus pandemic in Aberdeen between 19/03/2020 and 09/09/2020. Sandilands and John Fleming
3826 An aerial view of Sandilands Chemical Works looking north along Miller Street, shown on the left. Baltic Place, Garvock Wynd and Baltic Street can be seen coming off Miller Street to the east.
The offices of John Fleming & Company, timber importers, at 2 Baltic Place is the low building in the centre of the image at the bottom. Additional timber processing building belonging to the firm are shown behind and to the right. |