315

A photograph showing Princess Beatrice at Aberdeen Music Hall to open a bazaar in aid of the Sick Children's Hospital. The bazaar took place in the Music Hall on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th October 1898. Princess Beatrice, then known as Princess Henry of Battenberg, opened the bazaar the day before on Friday 28th October. The opening ceremony was covered in the Aberdeen Journal of 29th October 1898, page 5. The article states that Beatrice arrived by train at the Joint Station before travelling to the Music Hall from Guild Street by the horse drawn carriage that we can see here. The route travelled and much of the surrounding area were specially decorated for the occasion. The various businesses and buildings along the route decorated their own premises and many of these decorations are described in the newspaper report. The city gardeners Peter Harper of Duthie Park and Robert Walker of Victoria Park were tasked with creating floral displays. Harper decorated the interior of the Joint Station and the Music Hall, while Walker decorated the route between the two. The special royal train arrived at the joint station a couple of minutes before its scheduled time of 12:15pm. Beatrice was greeted at the station by a large civic and military reception and crowds of onlookers. The newspaper report indicates that travelling in the horse drawn carriage with Beatrice was Miss Minnie Cochrane and Lord William Cecil, both were royal courtiers. The man sat in the carriage is therefore most likely the latter. Following the opening ceremony, Beatrice was entertained at a luncheon at the Palace Hotel by the directors of the Royal Aberdeen Hospital for Sick Children. Beatrice and her party returned to Balmoral on a train leaving the station at 2:45pm. The newspaper also tells us that Messrs. Walker & Company, cinematographers, Bridge Street, filmed the procession as it passed along the railway bridge on Guild Street. Assistant photographers with still cameras captured the rest of proceedings. This photograph was likely taken by one of these assistants. A sign for Walker & Company can be seen hanging above the Music Hall entrance. This dates the image as belonging to this later royal visit by Princess Beatrice. She previously visited the city on 27th September 1883 to open an earlier bazaar for the Children's Hospital and to open the newly created Duthie Park

2145

This portrait of a smartly dressed young man was taken by G. W. Morgan (1855-1909). The photo features the ornate furniture and painted background that was the convention of the time. On the rear of the postcard photograph is printed "For further copies apply Elite Studios, 5 Market St, Aberdeen." This dates the image as between 1897 and 1907 when the business was trading under this name at the Market Street premises. Morgan and his brother William also operated photographic studios at 3 Bridge Place, 393 Union Street, and two in Aboyne and Ballater. Morgan was the son of a blacksmith from the village of Clatt, called John Morgan. Born in 1855, George trained as a druggist in Aberdeen before leaving for California where he worked as a photographer. He returned to the city in 1880 and became the principal photographic assistant to Mr Dinnie of Bridge Place. The premises in Market Street were his first studio after going into business with his brother. He lived at Westfield Terrace. In the coming years Morgan established a reputation in the city as an excellent photographer and businessman. He was described in his Aberdeen Daily Journal obituary as "A thorough artist in every sense of the word. Mr Morgan was remarkably successful in developing the very extensive business, and it was largely owning to his efforts that the firm attained its well deserved renown for the excellence of its portraiture and scenic work, all of which reach a high degree of artistic merit." In 1909, Morgan died aged 54 in quite unusual circumstances. On the night of 25th June he was travelling with Mr J. B. Davidson, a solicitor and business associate, to London on the Caledonian sleeper train. All was well up to Stirling when the two men went to sleep. Davidson was awoken in the night by the wind blowing into their compartment and with Morgan nowhere to be seen. After a thorough search of the train and much telegraphic inquiries it was determined that Morgan had fallen from the train and died just south of Carstairs. The exact conditions of his death are unknown but it was believed that he woke in the night and groggy with sleep used the wrong door. In addition to photography Morgan was a very accomplished violinist and acted as choirmaster for Ferryhill Parish Church for many years. He and his wife had 12 children.

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.

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.

3346

We believe this photograph shows a man historically known as Fool Friday entertaining a group of children and adults outside a house in Aberdeen. Fool Friday was a street vendor who sold ice cream in summer and hot chestnuts in winter. He may have also played a barrel piano as shown here. Fool Friday was an often seen, distinctive character on the streets of Aberdeen. References to him in recorded oral history and newspapers suggest he sold his goods around the town centre, including at the Castlegate. He appears to have been around in the earlier years of the 20th century, between the two world wars. Little seems to be known, or recorded, about the life of this intriguing figure. He is mentioned in an article of reminiscences by Arthur Bruce from the Leopard magazine of December 1986/January 1987. Bruce writes "I am reminded of another worthy who lived round the corner in Harriet Street, an Ice Cream Mannie, with a home and family. Of Italian origins he was known as 'Fool Friday' - nothing to do with being stupid, I may add, simply the local dialect for foul or dirty. Legend had it that the nickname was well deserved, but as a child I was never aware of his less than hygienic approach to the business of selling ice cream from a 'cairtie'. I have never solved the mystery of the 'Friday' part, although I should be delighted to hear from anyone who knows the answer." It is possible that this photograph shows not Fool Friday, but someone else entirely. A letter in the Evening Express of 30th October 1979, looking back to this earlier time, describes a man known as Can-Tam who played a barrel organ in the streets. The letter writer suggests that Can-Tam's organ was smashed by a tram and subsequently replaced by the council. A suggestion received through social media and subsequent further research indicates that this image may show Guiseppe, or Joseph, Bordone (1872-1957). He was an eating house keeper and an ice-cream and chestnuts vendor. A brief mention in the Evening Express newspaper of 15th March 1994, page 8, suggests that Bordone may have been known as Fool Friday, but this is uncertain. This photograph was printed as a postcard and these were perhaps sold to the families visited by the entertainer. This postcard was lent to Aberdeen City Libraries by Bill Cheyne so that we could create and preserve a digital copy for public use.

4219

This photograph shows a steam engine rally with onlookers admiring the traction engines Wizard and Olive. This is most likely a Bon-Accord Steam Engine Club Rally and Steam Fair in Hazlehead Park. In the centre of the photo is the traction engine Wizard. This tractor, as indicated by its signage, was owned by William McConachie of Tarland (c.1893-1981). Programmes for Bon-Accord Steam Engine Club events, such as that for their 1986 fair, states that Wizard was Aveling no. 1139, registration number SO2182. Built by Aveling and Porter in 1926 it was an 8 horse power compound piston valve traction engine. It was built for Moray County Highways for road maintenance, before being acquired by McConachie. Following William McConachie's death in 1981, the engine, plus two others, was owned by his son William "Bill" McConachie (1929-2013), a former policeman and chairperson of the Bon-Accord Club. The man standing in front of the engines, wearing a suit and glasses, may be William "Bill" McConachie. Olive was Foster no. 14289, reg. no. SA5264. Manufactured in 1919 by Foster Wellington it was a 5 horse power compound tractor. It is described as "an ex-W.D. engine acquired by Godsman & Sons, New Pitsligo, for hauage of peat from the mosses in the district, then sold to a threshing contactor at Mintlaw Station and later used for sawmill work, until bought by the late William McConachie, Tarland. Now owned by his daughter Jean of Breda, Alford" (1986 programme, page 26). An obituary for William "Willie" McConachie can be found in the Press & Journal of 28th October 1981 on page 4. It states that this well-known traction engine enthusiast was a publican before taking over the Mill of Wester Coull Farm. He had four engines which he took to rallies all over Scotland. He and his wife Olive, no doubt the naming inspiration for the above engine, were honorary members of the Bon-Accord Steam Engine Club. William was also a local Justice of the Peace. This photo is likely dates from the 1970s or 1980s and is from a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's publicity department.

164

A receipt from Bowman & Webster, Cork Manufacturers & Bottle Merchants. The document dating from 21st April, 1916 features illustrations of the premises at 8 & 10 South Constitution Street and lists other offices in Dundee and Sevilla, Spain. The receipt is for the purchase of beer corks by the Douglas Arms Hotel in Banchory. The business of Bowman & Webster had a long history in the City of Aberdeen. It was initially a partnership between Thomas Bowman and Fred Webster. The partnership was dissolved in 1901, with Bowman leaving, but the company retained its original name throughout its history. Thomas Bowman died suddenly, aged between 40 and 50, on 28th August 1905 and his obituary can be read in the next day's Aberdeen Journal. Like his father and grandfather he had joined the army and served in North India with the Gordon Highlanders. Fred Webster and his son ran the business after the departure of Bowman. A descendant of the family has been touch and explained that both had troubled lives and died relatively young. The business was then taken over by John Webster, Fred's brother, in 1925. The obituary of Fred Webster can be read in the Press & Journal of 25th June 1924. In addition to describing his successful business and work in Spain, the article describes him as follows: "A man of genial disposition, Mr Webster was exceedingly popular with all who knew him. He was a keen bowler and a member of the Northern Bowling Club. For many years Mr Webster was a well-known pigeon fancier and breeder, and won prizes all over the country, including Crystal Palace, and his services were often in request as a judge." Before taking over the business, John and his wife had spent twenty years living and working in Canada. Fred willed the company to a daughter of John's called Evelyn. John successfully ran the business as its Managing Director until his death on 8th November 1961, aged 78. He was a life-long member of the Thistle Swimming Club and lived at 122 Desswood Place. John's son, Edwin John Webster, then ran the business until it closed down in the later 20th century. The growing influence of large brewers made business and survival more difficult for local companies involved in the licensed trade. Edwin John Webster died, aged 78, on 30th September 1990. Many thanks to Michael John Webster (from Angus), son of Edwin, for providing us with additional information about the family and business.

196

November 27th 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of the land surveyor Alexander Ogg. Local historian, and Central Library user, Dr Douglas Lockhart made the excellent suggestion that we celebrate this anniversary by displaying Ogg's rare Map of New and Old Aberdeen (1855) as a treasure for November. The tremendous level of detail; annotation of residential and business occupants and the inclusion of various proposed city developments, make the map a particularly interesting historical item. This version of the map was corrected to 1855 and published by J. Gellatly, 26 George Street, Edinburgh. There is a brief description of the map in the bottom right of the sheet that reads: "This map, continued from the Original Survey made in 1809, by John Smith Architect; has been revised and corrected to 1848, by Alexr. Ogg Land Surveyor; the Railways and Approaches by Alexr. Gibb, C.E. and the Harbour Improvements by James Abernethy, Harbour Engineer." The National Library of Scotland hold a version of the map corrected to 1847 and published by D. Wyllie & Son, 111 Union Street, Aberdeen. It features a similar description to the one above, the only difference being it states it is corrected by Ogg to 1847. There are visible differences between the two versions, particularly around the railway areas. How much these amendments are due to Ogg in 1848 or a later cartographer is unclear.

221

Celebrating 400 years since the death of the literary great, one of our April treasures looks at an unusual publication concerning the works of William Shakespeare. Published in the mid-19th Century, this wonderful volume was donated to Aberdeen Public Library by Miss Emily Jane Duthie, a retired teacher living on Skene Terrace. Born in India in 1868 Miss Duthie was the daughter of Robert Duthie, Superintendent of the Scottish Orphanage in Bombay during the days of the British Empire. The school was founded in 1847 by Scottish Christian Missionaries to educate the daughters of Scottish Presbyterian Soldiers based in India. Since then, the school has continued to thrive and is now one of the most prestigious in Mumbai. It is highly likely that Miss Duthie's early years based at the institution, followed by her own studies and subsequent career would have introduced her to the world of Shakespeare and perhaps piqued an interest in the many female characters depicted therein. The kind donation clearly demonstrates her continuing desire and passion to educate others in later life, once her career as a teacher had come to an end. "The heroines of Shakspeare" is chiefly an art book; a means to showcase the forty-eight imagined portraits of the Bard's fictional characters. The attempt to capture a visual representation of the prominent female characters provides a neat bridge between Shakespeare's contemporary audiences (who would have seen female roles assigned to young boys), and our modern age of television and film which is frequently dominated by physical appearance. Although educated Victorian audiences would have been familiar with the written words, the illustrations attempt to capture a definitive image of each character, including approximate age, costume, physical features and demeanour as revealed by the playwright. The images are portraits of Hamlet's Ophelia, Othello's Desdemona, Romeo and Juliet's Juliet and of course - Lady Macbeth (from the Scottish play!) The illustrations are printed on thick paper from original engravings by portrait artists including Augustus Egg, John Hayter and John William Wright. The book is bound with gilt edges and also contains sturdy decorated endboards. The curious spelling of Shakespeare in the title reflects the fact that during the Bard's own lifetime there was no single accepted form - the man himself spelling his own name differently in various editions of his work. Although this may seem strange to modern readers the tradition harks back to an era when language was much more fluid, and established forms of spelling simply did not exist in the way that we know today.

315

There are currently two daily newspapers in Aberdeen - the Press and Journal and Evening Express. The Evening Express first appeared in January 1879. The Press and Journal has a much longer history being first published in January 1748 as the Aberdeen's Journal - the first newspaper to be published in northern Scotland. Its editor was James Chalmers, son of the Rev. James Chalmers, Professor of Divinity at Marischal College. After his death in 1764, his son, also James, took over the business, and he, in turn, was succeeded by his son David in 1810. Over the years there have been several rivals to the Journal's initial monopoly but the earliest was first published on 3rd October 1752 by Francis Douglas and William Murray. They called their paper the Aberdeen Intelligencer. It was supportive of the Jacobite cause whereas the Journal had Whig sympathies. The Journal notes the forthcoming appearance of its rival in an advert in 1752 and subsequent notices give some idea of the contest between the two papers. This rivalry ended in 1757 when there appears to have been an agreement that Douglas and Murray should gain an interest in the Journal while ceasing to publish their own newspaper. The last issue of the Intelligencer appeared on 22nd February 1757. Most of the conflict between the papers appears to have revolved around the cost of advertising. The population of Aberdeen and Old Aberdeen totalled less than 16,000 at this time and the available advertising revenue was unable to support both titles. Both Chalmers and Douglas reduced their prices for advertisements in 1753. By February 1757, a proposal to unite the papers had been brought to the Commissioners of Supply for the County of Aberdeen and a notice in the Aberdeen Journal of 1st February 1757 says "And as the publishers of the Intelligencer are from that time to have a concern in the Aberdeen Journal, the Intelligencer will not be published after the last Tuesday of February". In the Journal of 1st March 1757, Chalmers notes that the price of advertisements will be raised again. Unfortunately, it appears that a complete file of this short-lived newspaper has not survived in any library or archive. Individual issues may exist in private hands but the only copy held in our Local Studies collections was donated to the Public Library in 1927 by Henry Simpson, a teacher at Robert Gordon's College. It is number 96, dated Tuesday 30th July to Tuesday 6th August 1754. The City Librarian G. M. Fraser expressed his gratitude for "this only known number of that rare Aberdeen periodical" in letters to Mr Simpson in December 1927 and January 1928 when he promised that "It will be very carefully preserved". Like the Journal of that period, it has four A3 size pages of 3 columns and comprises mostly national or international news selected from other newspapers as was the custom at that time, with a few local notes on page 4, including lists of shipping arrivals and departures. The earliest original issue of the Aberdeen Journal held in our Local Collections is from 1758, but microfilm copies of the Journal from 1748 onwards are available for consultation in the Information Centre. Although few copies of the Intelligencer survive, there are references in other publications which quote some of its content. The Scots Magazine of 1753 publishes an obituary for Mrs Janet Gordon of Aberdeen who was over 100 years old and reprints a poem which appeared in the Intelligencer. In 1755, the Scots Magazine published a discussion on the new method of singing church tunes which was spreading from the parishes in north-east Scotland into the city, as described in the Intelligencer on 26th November 1754. The London Evening Post quotes a story detailing the tragic circumstances of a Highlander suffering from severe frostbite after being lost in a snow storm near Lochaber in January 1754. Despite their rivalry in newspaper printing, Douglas and Murray published the Aberdeen Almanac for 1753 jointly with James Chalmers. This little volume lists phases of the moon, days when fairs were to be held in various Scottish towns, tide tables, Sovereign Princes of Europe with their year of accession, post days and postage rates.

479

Five days before his execution, having murdered his wife, William Gordon recounts his crime. He recalls the evening of the murder. Both intoxicated, he and his wife went out. They had an amicable time. Gordon does not recall much from their return home, bar that he went for his pipe. He later discovered his wife dead. He declares having had no recollection of her death. Three weeks later, Gordon remembers having shoved her to the floor, to which she shouted 'Murder!'. Gordon also remembered having scissors in his hand, which leads him to believe that to have been the murder weapon. This confession begins by citing the book of Hosea from the Christian Bible. Gordon then articulates the nature of his sin, confessing it to be the 'sin of drunkenness'. He compares the severity of his sin to the eternality of God's omnipotence. His confession warns its readers against sinning as he has. He does not apologise for the murder of his wife, instead expressing regret for becoming intoxicated. This marks the text particularly interesting for understanding perceptions of alcoholism and alcohol related crimes in nineteenth-century Scotland. Fascinatingly, though facing death, Gordon still devotes two paragraphs to acknowledging various people that supported him during his incarceration. Gordon concludes the main body of the text by imploring his audience to take up Christianity. The confession is reprinted in Aberdeen's Journal, on 5th June 1822, five days after Gordon's execution. The paper confirms that Gordon authored this text, saying it was distributed by the Reverend Thom. The confession is well written and articulate, revealing the author's profound knowledge of Christian scripture. Gordon himself was from the parish of Cabrach, made a livelihood selling fishing tackle, and was aged around forty-five at the time of the murder. The accompanying editorial declares that many had come to believe that the murder 'had been perpetrated by the unhappy man while under the influence of that most baneful of human vices, and, of course, a prey to all the evil passions which it naturally engenders.' The view that the death was caused by excessively drinking, and that the defendant had not consciously decided to murder her, was prevalent. Remarkably, 'many Gentlemen (including several of the Jury who tried him)' lobbied King George IV to commute Gordon's sentence. The judge, however, refused to capitulate. Accompanying Gordon's confession is that of the twenty-two-year-old Robert McIntosh, on 29th May 1822. McIntosh describes the conditions of his imprisonment in the dungeon, expresses regret for the repercussions of his crime and prostrates himself before God. The Journal reports that McIntosh had murdered the forty-year-old Elizabeth Anderson of Crathie. The paper continues that McIntosh had slit Anderson's throat. At the time, Anderson had been promised marriage by him and was pregnant with his child. The Journal reports the day of their execution. In the Old Court Room, Psalm 51 was sung. Gordon joined in loudly. As they went to the scaffold, both prayed. The paper reports McIntosh's nerves getting the better of him, and him being brought a glass of water. After Gordon finished praying, at twenty minutes past three, they were hung. Gordon passed very quickly. McIntosh, on the other hand, 'struggled considerably, and was convulsed for several minutes', due to the rope being improperly set up. The Journal reports that countless thousands witnessed their hanging, the first of its kind in seventy-years.

491

This satirical broadside presents the first act of a drama probably realised by a private citizen to denounce a current political issue. The first character of the drama, called "Ed.", sees no solution other than death to escape disgrace. He has not been able to prevent the "vile Duncan" from obtaining the favour of the people, despite Ed.'s numerous efforts. A High Civic Dignitary (whose name is "P--t") and his Clique, represented as rather naïve, try to ascertain whether Ed. is effectively deceased. Unfortunately, since this document lacks a date or proper names, it is hard to understand exactly what matter it is addressing. The words "Links", "Duncan", "petition", "train" suggest that the broadside may refer to a rivalry between two competing railway companies' directors which occurred in 1856. Mr. Duncan (John Duncan), mentioned twice by the first character, had appealed to the public to obtain permission to build his railway line on the Links. He was denounced by his opponent for not having followed the legitimate procedure of lodging a Parliament Plan. More details on the question can be found in a broadside from our collection titled "Taking Lawless Possession", available here.

496

This broadside purports to comes from a newspaper called Northern Ensign. It provides detail of an accident on water in 1856. It appears to be an elaboration satirical allegory comparing the Great North of Scotland Railway Company's attempts to pass a bill in parliament to a disaster at sea. The "Great North", a large, three-decker steamer is commanded by Captain John Duncan. This is presumably John Duncan, an Aberdeen Advocate, who served as chairman of the Great North of Scotland Railway Co. between 1867 and 1871. Of one incident, the broadside reports "The Great North" capsized when a storm broke out. The vessel had been preparing to take off, with all sails open. Captain Elphinstone's crew all attempted to scramble to safety. Many of the crew were seriously injured. Though the storm only lasted a few minutes, some £15,000 in damage was done. The broadside reports that their correspondent tried to investigate the issue, but the crew refused to give much information. The broadside does list some injuries, such as: "Andrew Boyd, lost his snuff-box and his memory". John Webster was thrown overboard and was rescued by another vessel, whom The Great North crew had been ridiculing before the storm. A further amazing description follows: "Ferguson (not the poet or the astronomer, but a bigger man than before) got severely crushed between a floating spar and the funnel." "John Anderson (not 'my Joe,') preserved his equanimity during the whole trying scene, and coolly went down below for his portmanteau." A report into the accident found that the crew were incompetent, "not one could box the compass." The lackadaisical attitude of the crew towards safety, they found, contributed to the scale of the accident.