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Pittodrie House
270 This photograph shows Pittodrie House which stands on the east slopes of Bennachie near the village of Pitcaple about 20 miles from Aberdeen. The Mither Tap is visible in the background.
Although the house stands over 680 feet above sea level, it is surrounded by trees which provide shelter from the wind. It is a complex house of several dates and was on the estate of the Knight Erskine family for centuries, before being sold in 1903 to George Smith, a Glasgow shipping magnate who founded the City Line of Steamers. The Smith family still own the property which has been run as a luxury hotel since 1977 and the 3000 acre estate is leased for agriculture.
The original house probably dated from around 1490, and a wheel stair from that period still survives, although the house was burnt by Montrose during the Covenanting Wars.
A date stone commemorates the re-building by the Erskines in 1675, and in 1841, the architect Archibald Simpson created the large neo-Jacobean extension with three storey balustraded tower on the east side - seen here covered in ivy. A billiard room was added in the early 1900s and further extensions took place in 1990.
The word 'Pittodrie' is thought to be derived from the Gaelic 'todhar' which can mean either manure or bleach. Aberdeen Football Club's ground is known as Pittodrie Stadium, because the Knight Erskines also owned the lands in the city where the stadium was built. Brae Farm
1790 This photograph was taken in 1951 by James Kellas and looks east showing, on the left, the rear of Brae Farm, located on Morningside Road, and part of 142 Morningside Avenue on the right.
There was originally a Brae Farm to the north west of this location that can be seen the Ordnance Survey map published in 1869 (Aberdeen Sheet LXXV.14). Just to the north of the old farm on the map is a single Aberdeen Water Works reservoir.
An article from The Leopard magazine by Diane Morgan (October/November 1985) explains that in 1885 an Aberdeen Corporation Water Act was passed to empower the Town Council to take eight million gallons daily from the River Dee and to build a second reservoir at Mannofield. This was to keep up with the city's rapid population increase.
To carry out the expansion, the council acquired the land adjoining the initial reservoir including the first Brae Farmhouse and its steadings. They then became known as Reservoir Cottage and Reservoir House and served as the home of the inspector of the water works. A relatively early inspector was called William Clark. On 28th February 1898 he died at the cottage aged 64. He was buried in the John Knox Churchyard (Aberdeen Weekly Journal, 02/03/1898, p.4).
Clark was likely succeeded as waterworks inspector by James Forsyth. The Forsyth family lived at the cottage well into the 20th century. James was married to Margaret (née Jaffray), who died after him on 28th July 1945, aged 85. Their second son, Sapper John Forsyth, died aged 26 at Oldmill Military Hospital on 20th April 1917. He was buried at Springback Cemetery.
The reservoirs continue to play a vital role in supplying water to Aberdeen. The cottage and house however were demolished in the late 20th century and replaced by modern water treatment buildings.
As shown on the 1901 OS map, sometime shortly after the passing of the 1885 act the Brae Farm we can see in this picture was built to the south east, where Morningside Road met Auchinyell Bridge. To the east, Aberdeenshire County Cricket Ground was also built around the same time.
This later Brae Farm was the home to the Kinnaird family for the first half of the 20th century. The heads of the family were Frank Kinnaird and Margaret Amelia Smith.
Their son Lance-Corporal A. G. Kinnaird, of the Royal Scots, was reported as a prisoner of war in Germany in June 1918. Prior to the war he had worked with the Clydesdale Bank (Evening Express, 03/06/1918 p.3).
Frank's eldest daughter, Jessie Sinclair, married James Smith Mathieson at Ruthrieston U.F. Church on 7th September 1927 (Evening Express, 08/09/1927, p.6).
A younger daughter, Edith Kinnaird, married a man from Portsmouth called Andrew Livingstone in July 1936. The marriage took place in Ruthrieston West Church and the reception was at the Caledonian Hotel (Press & Journal, 06/06/1936 p.8).
Daughters Amelia Elizabeth and Margaret Kinnaird both left Brae Farm in the 1920s (1924 and 1920, respectively) to reunite with fiancés who had travelled ahead to Canada.
Frank Kinnaird died on 12th August 1950, aged 84.
At some point during the 1930s-1950s the residential streets we know today, Morningside Avenue, Terrace and Place were constructed between the reservoir and the new farmstead. These streets take their name from Morningside Farm to the east. As can be seen in this photograph, the farm stood into the 1950s. It was eventually demolished when Morningside Avenue was extended to meet Morningside Road. The newer bungalows can be distinguished by their tiled, rather than slated roofs. A School of Dolphins: Magic at Central Library
2185 Our dolphin is designed around Magic Mouth language therapy which supports children with Specific Language Impairment. It's a fun strategy we teach children.
All the red sounds on Magic are lip sounds because lips are red.
All the blue sounds on Magic are made using your pointy tongue.
All yellow sounds on Magic are made at the back of our tongue.
All the green sounds are vowels.
Being able to listen to one sound at a time and being able to explain where it is made is an important skill for helping children to achieve clearer speech and is a foundation skill for literacy. A School of Dolphins: Doric Dialect at Central Library
2190 Doric Dialect, also known as "Carnegie" was decorated by Gabrielle Leith. The design is comprised of Scots, Gaelic and Doric words drawn in an illustrative and descriptive typography. "Carnegie" enjoyed a short stay in Aberdeen Central Library before taking up a location outside the Sir Duncan Rice Library at Aberdeen University on the Dolphin trail. Duthie Park
2192 A postcard image, likely from the early 20th century, looking east across the northernmost section of Duthie Park's Upper Lake, towards the bandstand.
As can be seen on old large scale Ordnance Survey maps, the northern section of the lake was originally lobed shape as visible here. It was made more cohesively rounded at some point in the mid-20th century.
This part of the Upper Lake has traditionally been used for pedalos. Stop 3: Janet Wishart (died 1597), Mercat Cross, Castlegate
2302 Here in the Castlegate a group of witches were accused of dancing and playing musical instruments in the presence of the devil between the Flesh Cross and Fish Cross at midnight on Halloween 1596. Between 1596-1597 in Aberdeen 22 women and one man were executed for having been found guilty of being witches. Janet Wishart and her family were the main focus of the witch hunting frenzy. Janet by all acounts was a forceful, ill-tempered woman with a sharp tongue. Janet was charged with over 30 dittays (indictments) going back 24 years. Janet spoke out at her trial but was never going to prove her innocence. Janet was sentenced to be burnt unto death which was unusual as witches were usually sentenced to be strangled and then their dead bodies burnt. Treasure 34: A Selection of Original Scots Songs in Three Parts
2322 Although the union of the Parliaments between Scotland and England had taken place almost a hundred years before, as the 18th century was drawing to a close there was still much fascination regarding the differing cultures. In time, Victorian society would give this fascination a renewed vigour, helped by Queen Victoria's passion for Scotland - including the establishment of Balmoral Castle as her residence North of the border. Before that time though, in the late 1790s, books were produced offering English readers an insight into their neighbours' traditions.
One such book was entitled 'A selection of original Scots songs' edited by Franz Haydn and published between 1790 and 1794. The book is designed to introduce the reader to the music and lyrics of traditional songs in Scotland. Haydn's book reproduced the songs along with corresponding music, and also offered a glossary to help with the more obscure language.
Burns' song 'My Heart's In The Highlands' - more popularly regarded today as a poem - makes an appearance in the selected works by Franz Haydn. With the collected works produced between 1790 - 1794, this was at a time when Burns began to suffer from the illnesses which would eventually end his life just a couple of years later.
Robert Burns
Celebrated across Scotland every year, Robert Burns Day takes place on 25 January and is an opportunity to remember Scotland's Bard and his work. Known the world over as the National Poet of Scotland, Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) was born in Alloway, Ayrshire. Burns' early life was one of balance; he toiled on his family's farm by day, and was taught reading and writing by candlelight at night. He conversed in Scots, while learning passages from English texts to further his studies. Although regarded by history largely as a poet, Burns also composed many songs - perhaps his most famous work 'Auld Lang Syne' being one of the few traditionally remembered in song form. One of our treasures this month celebrates Robert Burns' work and that of many other traditional Scottish musicians. Aberdeen from Torry
2671 A George Washington Wilson photograph of Aberdeen taken from across the River Dee in Torry.
Fishing boats are seen on the south side of the river. The spires of many Aberdeen landmarks are visible in the distance. The building on the far right of the image is the Castlehill Barracks. INTRODUCTION
2873 Aberdeen is home to an estimated 1,020 Poles. This number is gradually growing every year. Although the Polish community has integrated well with the Scots, there is still prejudice lingering. Statistics from 2017 show that Poles were the ethnic minority group in Aberdeen which had received the most racial discrimination. 70% of a total 144 incidents of discrimination consisted of verbal abuse.
It is important to demolish any type of discrimination towards any race to maintain peace within Aberdeen's communities. I believe that in order to do so, we all have to look back at our history together.
Significant relations between Scotland and Poland date back to at least the 16th century. From that time onwards, whether it was fighting together in WW1 and WW2 or making lucrative trades, our relationship has remained fruitful. In this article I shall be writing about our countries' most cardinal points in history. LUCRATIVE BUSINESS IN DANZIG
2878 With the substantial number of Scottish immigrants in Poland a reputation followed. "A Scots pedlar's pack" became a phrase used in Poland. The expression referred to the goods which the Scots had traded. Some of these goods were malt, flax, fruit, handkerchiefs, linen, woollen products, coal, fish and cloth.
As the Scottish minority made a visible contribution to the trade in Danzig, they earned another expression used among the Poles -"Szkot" (which means Scot in Polish). It was an epithet which referred to a business traveller.
The Scottish population in Poland increasingly grew in the 16th century due the career opportunities offered by the country. Areas of Poland consequently show the presence of these Scots. In 1576, Stefan Batory - the king of Poland at the time, designated a sector of Danzig to house Scots. "Nowe Szkoty" (New Scots) is an area in modern day Gdansk which has around 10 Polish villages with street names referencing the Scots who previously lived there.
The image on the left is of Cragievar Castle. This castle was owned by William Forbes. The funding for the property came from the riches he had made in Poland. CONCLUSION
2880 Sadly, my report ends here. It has been a great pleasure researching the relationship between two countries with which I strongly identify. I was born in Poland and moved to Scotland when I was 6 months old along with my family. I can relate to both parts and consider myself a citizen of both countries. I hope you have enjoyed reading this report and are encouraged to research into your own family ancestry. Maybe you'll find some Polish heritage. Who knows? But most of all I hope you have become more knowledgeable on the matter, possibly making our community more aware of racism and prejudice and helping to tackle these very important issues in Aberdeen.
Sources and References
'Scots in Poland, Poles in Scotland' from The Krakow Post
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Aberdeen Press and Journal, Saturday 27th April 1935
Aberdeen Press and Journal, Friday 13th September 1931
Wikipedia entry for Alexander Czamer
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'Scotland and Poland' from #ScotlandIsNow
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'Polish "most targeted group" in prejudice in Aberdeen' from BBC News
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'Alexander Chalmers, Scottish Mayor of Warsaw' by Ross 'Teddy' Craig
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'History of Gordon's' from Robert Gordon's College website
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'Scots Diaspora' by Andrew Elliott
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'Did you know?' from Mapa Scotland: the Great Polish Map of Scotland
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'Papers Relating to the Scots in Poland (1576-1798)' from Electric Scotland
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Sheddocksley House
3837 A photograph of Sheddocksley House taken from The Freedom Lands and Marches of Aberdeen 1319-1929 compiled by Donald B. Gunn (1929).
Old maps indicate that this house was likely demolished sometime in the mid-20th century. It was located just to the north east of the square of houses at the top of Lerwick Road in modern day Sheddocksley. A walled garden was located to the east of the old house.
The above book, known as The Blue Book, states that the estate of Sheddocksley, once part of Aberdeen's Freedom Lands, was feued in 1551. Gunn elaborates with the following:
"Sheddocksley was feued to John Irvin and Gilbert Tullideff at a feu duty of £53 6d. 8. Scots. It was bought back by the Town in 1677 and re-feued in 1702. Fifty-seven years later it was again acquired by the Town and alienated a third time shortly afterwards. It has been much sub-divided in these processes, Gillahill, Newpark (Cuttle Hill), Whitemyres and Maidencraig being among the main divisions." (page 13). Forresterhill House
3838 A photograph of Forresterhill (or Foresterhill) House taken from The Freedom Lands and Marches of Aberdeen 1319-1929 compiled by Donald B. Gunn (1929).
This house still stands at the time of writing in 2022. It has been incorporated into the Foresterhill hospital complex and can be found north of the main Aberdeen Royal Infirmary building, east of the tennis courts.
Concerning the Forresterhill estate more generally, which was initially feued in 1551, Gunn writes the following:
"Forresterhill was feued to Gilbert Colison at a feu duty of £20 Scots. This estate was, in comparatively recent times, purchased by the Town, who, in 1925 and 1928, sold parts of the central portion to the Governors of the Royal Sick Children's Hospital and the Royal Infirmary respectively, for hospital purposes. Other parts of this estate are known as Ashgrove, Woodhill, Stockethill, Cornhill and Westburn." (page 13). Kingswells House
3839 A photograph of Kingswells House taken from The Freedom Lands and Marches of Aberdeen 1319-1929 compiled by Donald B. Gunn (1929).
This house, which originally dates back to the 17th century and was extensively restored in the 19th century, still stands today and can found nestled among Kingwell's Prime Four Business Park. In recent times, it has been used as a spiritualist centre.
Kingswells estate was initially feued in 1551. Gunn writes the following about the lands:
"Kingswells was feued to John Arthur at a feu duty of £13 6s. 8d. Scots. It was owned subsequently for a long time by the well-known Jaffrey family, and is at present held by the Trustees of the late Dr. Francis Edmond, who acquired the estate in 1854." (page 13). Milne's Institution
4210 A photograph of the front, north elevation of Milne's Institution, now Milne's Primary School, in Fochabers, Moray.
A Neo-Tudor (Scots Elizabethan) quadrangular, 2 storey building, it was constructed to a design by architect Thomas Mackenzie in 1845-6.
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. Main Street Ballater
4222 This photograph looks north west along Bridge Street in Ballater.
The Coach House Hotel, with its Scots baronial style turret, can be seen at the junction with Netherley Place. Since 1994 this property has been the Balmoral Bar.
The hill visible in the background of this image is Craigendarroch, which is Gaelic for "hill of oaks".
This image likely dates from the 1970s. It is a part of a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's Publicity department. Ballater fountain
4225 This photograph shows the commemorative drinking well or fountain located in the centre of Ballater, across the road from the war memorial and Glenmuick Parish Parish.
The plaque on the fountain reads "Presented to Lieut. Col. Farquharson and the inhabitants of Ballater by Hugh Rose, 1884."
Hugh Ross (1807-1888) was the provost of Ballater. James Ross Farquharson of Invercauld (1834-1888) was a prominent land owner and descendant of the founders of Ballater.
The opening of the fountain took place on Wednesday 8th October 1884. An account can be read in the following day's Aberdeen Journal on page 2.
A melancholy accident unfortunately marred the day. At the end of the opening ceremony an old cannon located on Craigendarroch was fired by a Sergeant Charles McLagan of the Ballater Volunteers. Due to the cannon's age the charge burst the gun and severely injured McLagan. He was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment but died the next morning.
The tree in the foreground of this image looks like a Scots pine or similar. In the background is a partial view of nos. 4 and 6 Hawthorn Place. In between two people can be seen enjoying the sun. One lying on the ground and another reclining on the bench.
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. Bennachie
4229 A view looking west of Bennachie's Mither Tap from somewhere around Chapel of Garioch. In the foreground is some of the area's rich farmland, with a barn and farmhouse in the lower left.
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. Treasure 18: The Illustrated London News
189 One of this month's treasures is an extract of The Illustrated London News. This issue, dated from the 14th of November 1936, shows the General Francisco Franco, "the leader of the attack on Madrid and, from the first, ranked as head of the anti-government forces"... and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975.
Newspapers are indeed a great source of information on historic topics. What is particularly remarkable about The Illustrated London News is that it was probably the first pictorial weekly newspaper. Founded by Herbert Ingram, a newsagent from Nottingham, the first issue was published on the 14th May 1842 and sold for 6 pence. Ingram had the idea to include pictures and woodcuts within the paper in order to sell more copies. And it worked! The first issue met with immediate success, selling 26,000 copies during the first days and printing 65,000 more copies during the same week.
The Spanish Civil War broke out on the 17th of July 1936. During more than two years, nationalists and pro-government forces fought in Spain. At the same time, in Britain, Chamberlain and his conservative government defended strong neutrality and choose to keep the country far away from the war.
However, the "civil war" was a domestic conflict in name only. During more than two years, and even after the nationalist victory in 1939, it attracted the attentions of many governments and individuals. The Illustrated London News is a witness of the conflict and gives also some sense of the British representation of the Spanish Civil War. Even if it tried to keep its impartiality, its judgments and the way it conveyed the information was viewed through the eyes of local interest and popular opinion.
The newspaper portrayed the majority public opinion, which was non-intervention. As such, it tried to show both the nationalists sides and the pro-government opinion.
From July 1936 to April 1939, 549 Scots joined the International Brigades and fought to defend democracy in Spain. 134 lost their lives in Spain.
The International Brigade Memorial Trust is a British charity which aims to keep alive the memory and spirit of the over 50,000 individuals from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth who volunteered to defend democracy and fight facism. We hope this treasure acts as an additional commemoration for those who went to Spain.
Treasure 80: The Great Wizard of the North's Hand-Book of Natural Magic by John Henry Anderson
291 Ninety years since the Aberdeen Magical Society was founded, we feature a rare edition of the Hand-book of Natural Magic written and published by the famous 'Wizard of the North', John Henry Anderson, one of the best magicians of the 19th Century.
The book reveals 128 experiments "adapted for performance at the parlour or drawing-room table or fire-side? practicable without expensive chemical or mechanical apparatus".
The book features tricks such as The Conjuror's Table, The Gun Trick, and The Self-Balancing Pail, in addition to a number of card tricks and ruses.
For nearly forty years of his life, John Henry Anderson baffled appreciative audiences with his popular performances, which often featured advanced and intricate props. The 'Wizard of the North' travelled around the world delighting audiences in many countries, including Australia and America.
John Henry Anderson died in February 1874 and was buried alongside his mother Mary Robertson, in Mither Kirk graveyard in Aberdeen. He had many imitators and the great Houdini himself said he was one of his mentors. Houdini paid his respects to John Henry Anderson when he visited the Granite City in 1909.
In 1930, the Aberdeen Magical Society arranged to have the gravestone of Professor Anderson restored "as a mark of respect to this past-master in the art of conjuring entertainment" (Press and Journal, 8 August 1930).
Explore the life and work of the great wizard, and find out more about Aberdeen Magical Society in our interactive exhibition on the touchscreens in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries. 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 108: Local Studies Poetry Collection
329 One of our treasures this month is the Local Studies poetry collection.
In terms of treasures it might be thought of as a large golden casket filled with sparkling jewels -each one representing a book of poetry and a veritable treasure in its own right. In common with the rest of the Local Studies collection the main qualification for the inclusion of a particular work is that there should be a local connection. The poet may live/have lived locally or have written about the local area. As might be imagined this has led to the acquisition of a large and varied body of work.
It would be impossible to cover every poet and so a selection has been made. A number of famous, lesser known, male and female poets have been included and hopefully this may give a flavour of what is held within the collection. In "The Bards of Bon Accord" by William Walker the author describes a long tradition of poetry writing in Aberdeen and the Northeast dating back to the 14th century, with poets often writing in old Scots. This tradition continues today with modern poets like Sheena Blackhall and Douglas Kynoch writing both in English and their native dialect popularly known as the Doric.
To learn more about this fascinating collection, have a browse in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition. Strangers and vagrants
476 A broadside from 17th November 1746 forbidding the inhabitants of the Burgh to lodge any strangers without notifying their presence and identity to the magistrates, so that "their Condition, Quality and Business may be known."
This measure was taken in response to several crimes committed by unknown persons and there was a fine of twenty pound Scots per transgression for those who did not respect the ordinance.
It is interesting to note that the order did not apply to the Country People who came to Town to provide food for inhabitants or soldiers. This would have been a regular occurrence. At Aberdeen, the first Day of February, one thousand seven hundred and thirty seven years; in presence of the Provost, Ballies, Old and New Councils of the Burgh of Aberdeen.
510 A broadside like four-page notice from 1st February 1737, issued by Robert Thomson, town clerk, detailing measures to be taken to support poor decayed brethren of guild of the burgh (burgesses) and their widows and daughters. Only the front page of this item has been digitised and made available here. The full document can be consulted at Aberdeen Central Library.
The measures propose a quarterly contribution of one shilling, four shillings per annum, from each burgess of guild. This is to be collected by the Dean of Guild, who is to name four assessors for the four quarters of the town for this purpose. Burgers are also offered the option of paying a one-off contribution of twelve pound twelve shillings Scots money, which is considered to be the equal to a life-rent contribution. Burgers who fail to contribute, "are to have no benefit of this fund."
The notice details the scheme in considerable detail and how it relates to the family of burgesses. It then records the provost, baillies and council giving their approval to the arangements. |