Old Photograph Parish Church Hurlford Scotland

Old photograph of the Parish Church in Hurlford, East Ayrshire, Scotland. Robert Dunsmuir was a Scottish Canadian coal mine developer, owner and operator, railway developer, industrialist and politician in British Columbia, Canada. Dunsmuir was born on August 31, 1825, in Hurlford, Scotland to 20 year old James Dunsmuir and his wife Elizabeth in 1825. At the time of his birth, his family was engaged in the coal business in his native Ayrshire. On September 11, 1847, at the age of 22, Dunsmuir married 19year old Joan White. At the end of 1850, Dunsmuir's mentor, and his aunt's husband, Boyd Gilmour, had signed on with the Hudson's Bay Company to exploit a coal finding on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island at Fort Rupert. Because some of those who were to travel with him decided not to go upon hearing news of the conditions and prospects there, Gilmour sought replacements for his party at the last moment. On 24 hours' notice of this opportunity, Dunsmuir signed on. They sailed on the Pekin, for Fort Vancouver, via Cape Horn, on December 19, 1850. It took 191 days for them to arrive. Eight days later, on July 8, 1851, Joan Dunsmuir gave birth to their third child, James Dunsmuir. He eventually becamne one of the founders of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Company which built the rail line from Esquimalt to Nanaimo, later extended to Wellington, Victoria and Courtenay. His company received a grant of land comprising 20% of Vancouver Island as an incentive to build and equip the railway line to be owned and operated by the company. The Dunsmuir railway station was named after him. Dunsmuir was elected to the BC Legislature representing Nanaimo in the 1882 election while away on a European holiday, and was re-elected in 1886. Shortly after election to the legislature, he entered the cabinet. Dunsmuir died on April 12, 1889, at Victoria, British Columbia while still in office.





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Old Photograph Old Parish Church Scone Perthshire Scotland

Old photograph of the old Parish Church and graveyard in Scone, Perthshire, Scotland. Scottish Church built in 1286 near to Scone Palace. Moved to present site in 1806 using stone from original building.





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Old Photograph Knockcushan Street Girvan Scotland

Old photograph of Knockcushan Street in Girvan in South Ayrshire, Scotland. A plot of ground bounded on the North by Knockcushan Street and on the East by Dalrymple Street was acquired by Girvan town council in 1787 for market and other use. A tolbooth was built on part of the site, but by about 1820 it was ruinous. A market house having a town hall on the upper floor was built on the West part of the site about 1822, and the steeple in 1825. The architect is unknown but the steeple and three houses on the East part of the burgh's property were built by local contractors, Denham, Davidson and McWhinnie, at a total cost of £1,633. Ten years after the completion of the steeple the prisons inspector noted that a marked improvement in the peace of the town is said to have followed the building of this prison.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Old Photograph Post Office Coatbridge Scotland

Old photograph of people outside the Post Office on Church Street in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The town is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. In 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite army seized Coatbridge from government troops on their march to Edinburgh in an action described as the Canter of Coatbridge. The Monkland Canal was constructed at the end of the 18th century initially to transport coal to Glasgow from the rich local deposits. The invention of the hot blast furnace process in 1828 meant that Coatbridge's ironstone deposits could be exploited to the maximum by the canal link and hot blast process. The new advances meant that iron could be produced with two thirds less fuel. By the mid 19th century there were numerous hot blast furnaces in operation in Coatbridge.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Old Photograph Church Street Stanley Perthshire Scotland

Old photograph of cottages and houses on Church Street in Stanley, Perthshire, Scotland. Stanley is a village on the right bank of the River Tay in an area popular for salmon fishing. The village gained its name from Lady Amelia Stanley, the daughter of James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby. John Murray, the 4th Duke of Atholl, decided, in the 18th century to harness of the nearby River Tay to power a cotton mill., Richard Arkwright, an inventor of cotton spinning machinery set up a cotton mill in Stanley as well as one at New Lanark. Stanley Mills opened in 1787, and by its 10th year employed 350 people. The village was built to house the workers of the mill. Work on the village began in 1784. It was designed by the Duke of Atholl’s factor James Stobie. By 1799 the village’s population was around 400, and by 1831 it had reached around 2000 residents.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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