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Royal Medical Corps Portrait II
2147 This is another World War I era portrait of a soldier. The badge on his cap and the two-bar chevron on his arm indicate that he was a corporal in The Royal Army Medical Corps. The swagger stick held in his left hand is a symbol of his authority as an officer. 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 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 Theatres: Pavilion programmes
3382 For more than 30 years Harry Gordon, one of Scotland's most talented comedians of the 20th Century, dominated Aberdeen's entertainment industry and prompted local historian Fenton Wyness to describe him as "possibly the only real attraction Aberdeen beach has ever had". Aberdeen Local Studies hold a collection of bound volumes of Beach Pavilion programmes, published between 1924 and 1940.
The Beach Pavilion opened in 1905 and later became the home of Harry Gordon, the Laird of Inversnecky and one of Aberdeen's most popular comedians. He entertained visitors at the Beach Pavilion throughout the 1920s and 1930s, helping to make the Beach Pavilion one of the brightest and best places of entertainment in town and brought many world-famous artists to Aberdeen.
The final curtain came down with the Second World War. Due to its vulnerable location, many people were reluctant to go the Beach and the Pavilion was closed during the war years. It was re-opened in 1946 (although Harry Gordon had given up his tenancy by then) and continued as an entertainment venue. Aberdeen Cinemas: News Cinema / Curzon / Cosmo 2
3426 An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Cosmo 2 cinema at 15 Diamond Street in January 1976.
This site was first used as a picture hall by the News Cinema which opened on Saturday 5th September 1936. This was only the second cinema of its type to open in Scotland. Michael Thomson explains that news cinemas aimed to entertain those with only limited time, with programmes lasting approximately an hour made up of comedy and local interest shorts, newsreels and cartoons. They were ideal for travellers waiting for connections or those passing time before appointments.
The News Cinema in Aberdeen was owned by Ernest Bromberg and was located next door to the Palais on Diamond Street. The cinema was converted from a former stable building that Bromberg had owned since 1931. Thomson states that "the acoustics and the RCA talkie system were excellent, and all in all the little cinema more than made up in comfort and quality for what it lacked in size."
The News Cinema made its own local newsreels that documented happenings in the town. In October 1941 one of these captured footage of the tragic fire that destroyed the upper section of the Palace Hotel and killed 6 people. Major national events such as coronations and the second world war were also heavily represented in the News Cinema's programme.
On 4th April 1955 the cinema was rebranded by Bromberg as the Newcine Continental and specialised in showing films from Europe, which were then growing in popularity. During the next year the cinema shifted back to news programmes and reverted to its original name on 3rd December 1956.
The current events function of news cinemas was increasingly superseded by the growth and availability of TV news reporting. In May 1959 the cinema changed its name to the Curzon and returned to showing continental films, including the more risqué variety which were popular at the time.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. Pitmedden Garden
4207 A photograph showing three boys admiring the fountain at Pitmedden Garden.
Pitmedden Garden is a Natural Trust for Scotland property. Their website describes it as a "re-created Scottish Renaissance walled garden with vibrant floral designs and Museum of Farming Life."
Concerning its history, the website states "the Great Garden dates back to 1675 when it was originally laid out by Sir Alexander Seton." [...] "In the 1950s Pitmedden was gifted to the Trust who re-created the garden based on 17th-century plans after it was ploughed up to grow vegetables during the Second World War and used as a kitchen garden for over 100 years."
This fountain is detailed in an entry on Historic Environment Scotland's CANMORE website (CANMORE ID: 338622). Quoting a guide pamphlet by Dr James Richardson, designer of the garden restoration, it states "In the re-creation of the Great Garden of Pitmedden, the National Trust for Scotland not only has established once again the site of the original fountain but it has erected a further fountain as a focal point in the centre of the Great garden. The sculptured stones that compose this second fountain have an interesting history as seven of them formed, at one time, part of the Cross Fountain of Linlithgow designed and executed by Robert Milne, King's Master Mason, to commemorate King Charles II's Restoration. These detached fragments were given by the Ministry of Works. Three fragments of the original Pitmedden construction have also been worked into the composition of the fountain."
Looking west, a stairway up to Pitmedden's terrace garden and Pitmedden House can be seen in the background.
This image likely dates from the 1970s. It comes from a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's publicity department. Glenmuick Parish Church
4223 A photograph looking south from Bridge Street in Ballater towards the front elevation of Glenmuick Parish Church. A small part of Ballater's war memorial can be seen seen on the left.
Glenmuick Parish Church was built in 1873-74 to a design by Aberdeen architect John Russell Mackenzie (1833-1889). Describing its historical importance on their listed buildings portal, Historic Environment Scotland state the following:
"Francis Farquharson, and later his brother William, planned Ballater in the late 18th century, following the discovery that the Pannanich Wells across the River Dee were deemed to have miraculous healing qualities. This led to a steady stream of visitors and Ballater was planned as a village that could house them. The village was based on a rectilinear plan with the church at its centre. This early church was a simple building with a wooden steeple and was built to accommodate the people of the three surrounding parishes - Glengairn, Tullich and Glenmuick. It was consecrated in 1800.
"With Queen Victoria's interest in Balmoral in the 1850s and the arrival of the railway to the town in 1866, Ballater grew more prosperous and the older church was thought not be sufficiently in keeping with the new more prosperous town and the present church was built."
The war memorial in the bottom left, designed by Sir John J. Burnett, commemorates soldiers who died in World War I and II. It was unveiled on 23rd July 1922 (Press & Journal, 24th July 1922).
This image likely dates from the 1970s or 80s. It is a part of a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's Publicity department. Barrage balloon in Hazlehead Park, 1976
4293 The article 'Chill reminder of the past in air over Hazlehead' in the Press & Journal of 5th June 1976, page 9, indicates that this WWII style barrage balloon was brought to the Aberdeen park by paratroopers for the dual purpose of training exercises and a recruitment drive. The shown hydrogen filled balloon was a more modern version of those used during World War II.
The balloons were uncrewed defensive emplacements used to defend targets on the ground from aerial attacks. The steel cables attached to the balloon would severely damage any aircraft that ran into them, thus forcing them to avoid them by flying higher, where they would be more vulnerable to anti-aircraft guns. They were used by the British during WWII to defend against attacks from German dive bombers. Conference of Scottish Savings Workers at Aberdeen
4294 A photographic group portrait of delegates from a conference of Scottish Savings Workers that took place in Aberdeen on 18th and 19th June 1920.
A newspaper article previewing the conference in the Aberdeen Daily Journal of 17th June 1920, page 4, states that 500 delegates from around Scotland were expected to attend.
The article indicates that this group photograph, taken in Union Terrace Gardens by photographer David Milne, of 158 King Street, was scheduled for 9.30am on Saturday 19th June. This was following an early morning trip to Aberdeen Fish Market and before the conference was to restart at 10.30am. The conference itself took place in Trinity Hall on Union Street.
The focus of the Scottish Savings Workers at the time included a campaign for the sale of certificates to repay a Anglo-French loan and extending the savings movement in schools and churches.
The Scottish Saving Committee, styled here as the Scottish Savings Workers, was started during World War I to raise funds with the sale of war bonds and saving certificates. They continued after the war, changing their focus to national recovery and the encouragement of thrift as an individual and societal good.
Document dimensions: 34 x 44 cm. The Foundry
4409 A photograph of The Foundry pub and restaurant at 41-43 Holburn Street taken on 21st March 2024.
43 Holburn Street, today The Foundry, was built in around 1915/16 as a motor showroom and workshop for Mr. John Harper, engineer of Bournemouth, to a design by architect George B. Mitchell (Aberdeen Daily Journal, 20th September 1915, p. 4).
In November 1916, during the First World War, the Harper Motor Company put their new garage, at the junction of Holburn Street and Justice Mill Lane, at the disposal of the Red Cross. The commodious building, ideal for transport work, became the headquarters of the Aberdeen Transport Section of the Red Cross Society (Evening Express, 21st November 1916, p. 5).
43 Holburn Street was occupied and in use by the Harper Motor Company until at least 1979. In 1986, George Dowdles, who had ran a roller skating rink called Rollerland Disco in Bon-Accord Terrace, proposed to turn the premises into a leisure centre for teenagers (Press & Journal, 19th June 1986, p. 3).
The new venture at 43 Holburn Street was to be a soda and burger café modelled on the TV show Happy Days and called Up The Junction. It opened in October 1986 (P&J, 10th October 1986, p. 3).
Up The Junction appears to have struggled financially and 43 Holburn Street was remodelled and opened as Rollerland Mark II in August 1987 (EE, 22nd February 1988, p. 8). The original Rollerland skating rink had been on the second floor of 5 Bon-Accord Terrace and operated from 26th June 1981 to mid-1986.
Rollerland on Holburn Street was briefly owned by Cove Rangers football club and was temporarily renamed Wheels Leisure Centre. George Dowdles remained its manager (P&J, 1st April 1989, p. 1). The venue was reopened as Rollerland under the ownership of Aberdeen District Council in July 1989. DJs Robin Galloway and Gary Stein provided music for a reopening gala night (EE, 27th July 1989, p. 5).
Rollerland finally closed in February 1991 on safety grounds. Water leaks had warped the floor making it unsafe for skating. The venue had struggled financially and the estimated cost of repair was too large (P&J, 18th September 1991, p. 3). In June 1995, there was a significant fire in the building (EE, 19 June 1995, p. 2).
In September 1995, the company Alloa Pubs and Restaurants, who had leased the building from the District Council, unveiled plans for a £500,000 transformation of the run-down property. It was to be turned into a prestige bar-diner called The Granary, with a lay-out based on the company's Glasgow venue of the same name (EE, 16th September 1995, p. 7).
With a final redevelopment cost of £600,000, The Granary opened to the public on 6th February 1996 (P&J, 7th February 1996, p. 11).
A search of Aberdeen City valuation rolls indicates that by April 2005 The Granary had changed its name to The Foundry. At the time, The Foundry was operated by Mitchell & Butlers, one of the largest restaurant and pub businesses in the UK.
Mitchell & Butlers own the O'Neill's chain of Irish pubs, the first branch of which opened at 9-10 Back Wynd, Aberdeen on 22nd September 1994. This was formerly the premises of the Tappit Hen pub (P&J, 16th September 1994, p. 3).
In 2010, Mitchell & Butlers disposed of 333 of their town and community pubs to the Stonegate Pub Company. This likely included The Foundry ('Our history' page on Mitchell & Butlers website: https://www.mbplc.com/about-us/our-history/: accessed 22/03/2024).
In November 2023, The Foundry reopened to the public following a brief closure for a significant redevelopment. Backed by a £277,000 investment from the Stonegate Group, the UK's largest pub company, the work aimed to shift the venue from a sports-focused pub to a more family-friendly food destination. The exterior design changed from a black and gold colour scheme to the red and gold of Aberdeen Football Club (Aberdeen Business News, 23rd November 2023, https://aberdeenbusinessnews.co.uk/the-foundry-unveils-stylish-transformation-after-major-investment/: accessed 22/03/2024).
Orphan Girls' Asylum
72 The Aberdeen Orphan Girls' Asylum was also know as Mrs Elmslie's Institute. It later became Aberdeen High School for Girls and is now Harlaw Academy.
The HS/RCAHMS World War One Audit Project tells us that during WWI the school was part of the 1st Scottish General Hospital. This was one of four Territorial Force military hospitals established during wartime in Scotland. Buildings belonging to three other schools (Central, Rosemount and Westfield) were also used by the hospital, as was the city's Oldmill Poorhouse.
Correspondent Ed Fowler provided the following comments:
"This sketch by architect Archibald Simpson features the beautiful building in the Italian style of Architecture.
The central statue depicted above the entrance was not realised. It was instituted in November 1840 "For Maintaining, Clothing and Educating Orphan Girls", born of Parents who have resided in the Parishes of St Nicholas, Old Machar, or Nigg, for some 3 Years prior to their decease. The girls were admitted from the age of 4 to 8 years.
The building of what was then the Girl's High School (now Harlaw Academy) was incorporated into the 1st Scottish General Hospital, one of 4 Territorial Force military hospitals established in WW1 in Scotland. The buildings of 3 other schools were used by the Hospital (the Central School (later Aberdeen Academy); Rosemount; and Westfield), as well as the City's Poorhouse, along with huts and tents. The hospitals provided beds for 34 officers and 1,385 other ranks." Treasure 65: Beach Pavilion Programmes
241 For more than 30 years Harry Gordon, one of Scotland's most talented comedians of the 20th Century, dominated Aberdeen's entertainment industry and prompted local historian Fenton Wyness to describe him as "possibly the only real attraction Aberdeen beach has ever had". Aberdeen Local Studies hold a collection of bound volumes of Beach Pavilion programmes, published between 1924 and 1940.
The Beach Pavilion opened in 1905 and later became the home of Harry Gordon, the 'Laird of Inversnecky' and one of Aberdeen's most popular comedians. He entertained visitors at the Beach Pavilion throughout the 1920s and 1930s helped to make the Beach Pavilion one of the brightest and best places of entertainment in town, bringing many world-famous artists to Aberdeen.
The final curtain came down with the Second World War. Due to its vulnerable location, many people were reluctant to go the Beach and the Pavilion was closed during the war years. It was re-opened in 1946 (although Harry Gordon had given up his tenancy by then) and continued as an entertainment venue. In 1962 the Pavilion was re-named the Gaiety and became a licensed restaurant, public bar and lounge. It then functioned as a restaurant in the Queens Links leisure complex but the remaining remnants of the original building were sadly destroyed by fire in May 2014. Treasure 85: Diary of the Battle of the Somme, July-Sept. 1916, by Corporal H. Robertson
297 To mark Remembrance Day on 11 November, we are exhibiting one of the most poignant and remarkable treasures in our collection - the diary of Corporal Harry Robertson featuring a first-hand account of life in the trenches during World War One.
The diary was gifted to former City Librarian William Critchley by Harry Robertson when they met in Motherwell, Scotland. As Robertson had fought in the 1st Battalion of Gordon Highlanders, he suggested that Aberdeen Public Library may be the best place to preserve it.
Robertson was born in Greenock in 1893 and went on to become an analytical chemist with Glasgow City Analysts and Glasgow's Royal Technical College prior to the First World War. In August 1914, he enlisted in the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) and trained with them at Dunbar and York, transferring to the Gordon Highlanders in June 1915. He rose through the ranks to become Sergeant at General Headquarters 3rd Echelon in Rouen in November 1916, where he remained until the end of the war. He was demobilized in March 1919.
In the diary, Corporal Robertson shares his experiences during the 'Big Push' and the Battle of Bazentin Ridge (14-17 July 1916). It was a British victory, but at a huge cost with over 9000 British casualties and losses. The 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders were part of the 76th Brigade, 3rd Division, XIII Corps of the British Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Walter Congreve.
View our Treasures exhibition on the interactive screen to read more detailed extracts from the diary and gain an insight into the moving and often traumatic experiences of soldiers on the front line. Treasure 92: Diary of Samuel Pepys
311 A New Year's resolution for many this year will be to keep a diary and with this in mind we have decided to highlight what is perhaps one of the most famous journals in the world - the diary of Samuel Pepys.
Samuel Pepys was born at the family home at Salisbury Court, Fleet Street, London on 23 February 1633. He was a talented and hardworking individual who worked as a naval administrator eventually rising to become Secretary of the Admiralty but it is the diary that he kept during the years 1660-1669 that has earned him his rightful place in history. His diary provides detailed and personal accounts of major happenings from this period such as the restoration of the monarchy (1660), the second Anglo-Dutch war (1665-67), the great plague of London (1665) and the great fire of London (1666). We also learn about everyday life in the seventeenth century through his stories about his family, the servants that were part of his household and his general observations as he went about his daily business.
The edition of Samuel Pepys' diary that is in our collection is:
The Diary and Correspondence of Samuel Pepys, Esq., F. R. S. Secretary to the Admiralty in the reigns of Charles II and James II, 1659 to 1703 (1871).
Get a first hand account of explosive moments in history such as the Fire of London in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreen. Treasure 118: Aberdeen Harbour Plans
341 On display is a map of the harbour area which would have been used as part of Aberdeen's Air Raid Precautions (ARP) during World War Two. Essential locations such as telephone boxes, police stations, air raid shelters and first aid posts are all marked on the map in red circles.
In 1937 as part of the preparations for the major conflict that was about to follow the government created an Air Raid Warden's Service which would cover the whole of Britain. The City Warden Service operated in four divisions, each with a commander in charge and separate headquarters. The divisions were further divided into groups and then again divided into sectors with a number of wardens patrolling each sector. The wardens working in the nine sectors in the harbour area were controlled by the harbour commissioners. During the war, air raid wardens were required to enforce the blackout; help people into air raid shelters; issue gas masks; administer first aid; put out small fires and record bomb damage. Air raid wardens were usually local and their knowledge of the neighbourhood was vital.
Aberdeen was the most frequently bombed city in Scotland during World War Two and the harbour with its close physical links to the railways and associated industries of shipbuilding and fishing became a prime target for enemy attacks.
To see some more maps and plans documenting the history of one of Britain's oldest ports, check out our interactive exhibition on the touchscreen! |