Old Photograph Bridge Of Alford Scotland

Old photograph of the James Curr shop in Bridge of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Battle of Alford, near Bridge Of Alford, was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which took place on 2 July 1645. Having defeated Colonel Hurry at Auldearn, the Marquis of Montrose continued his raiding campaign in the Highlands. Fearing that Montrose intended to attack Aberdeen again, Major General William Baillie led the Covenanter army to cut him off. The two armies were roughly equal in size at about 2,000 foot, although Baillie had 600 horse compared with Montrose's 250, giving him a slight advantage. However, this advantage was negated by the effect of the presence of representatives of the Committee of Estates on his chain of command. This committee was the ruling body of the Covenanters, comprising the Earl of Argyll, the Earls of Crawford and Tullibardine, the Lords of Elcho and Burleigh from Perthshire, and Balcarres from Fife, who had all been involved in recent defeats by Montrose, together with a number of Calvinist clergy. It had the power to overrule Bailie's orders. Montrose took up a position on a low hill overlooking the ford across the Don at Alford. Baillie did not want to risk crossing the ford, seeing that his troops would be vulnerable to attack before they could form up for battle, but the Committee, urged on by Baillie's cavalry commander, Balcarres, insisted on battle. Montrose waited until the Covenanting horse was across the river, and the infantry was crossing, before ordering a general attack. A fierce fight ensued around the ford between the Covenant cavalry under Balcarras and the Royalist Cavalry under Lord Gordon. Montrose committed his reserves, a force of Gordon infantry, and the Covenant forces broke. The difficulties presented by escaping across a ford meant that the rout was particularly vicious. Covenant losses were about 1,500 of their 2,000 infantry, although much of their cavalry, along with Baillie, Balcarres and the Committee escaped. The Royalists lost several hundred men, including Lord Gordon. Nevertheless, the battle of Alford was one of the few bright moments for the Royalist cause in the aftermath of Naseby, only two weeks earlier.



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Old Photograph Skeldon Scotland

Old photograph of cottages and women in Skeldon by the River Doon in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The river flows 23 miles from Loch Doon, joining the Firth of Clyde just south of Ayr. Its course is generally north westerly, passing near to the town of Dalmellington, and through the villages of Patna, Dalrymple, and Alloway, birthplace of Robert Burns. The source of the Doon is Loch Enoch, high in the Galloway Hills. In the 1930s the Loch Doon was dammed to provide water to the Galloway Hydro Electric Scheme, today operated by Scottish Power. The Doon is mentioned in Robert Burns classic narrative poem " Tam o' Shanter ", along with the Brig o' Doon, which spans 72 feetacross the river, just outside Alloway. The river is also the major setting for his lesser known poem " The Banks O' Doon ".



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Old Photograph Road To Bigholm Scotland

Old photograph of the road to Bigholm by Beith in North Ayrshire, Scotland. This name and surname, with variant spellings Biggam, Beigham, Begem, Bigholm is of Scottish locational origin from the old forty shilling lands of Bigholm in Ayshire and Dumfriesshire. The component elements of the name are the Old Norse " big " from " bygg " meaning " barley " or the Old Danish personal byname Bekki, large or stout, plus the Old Danish " holm ", a small island or piece of land surrounded by streams. John Bygholme was dean of guild in Edinburgh in 1428, and a Thomas of Bigholme was elected Magistrate of Edinburgh in 1456. On October 18th 1723, Mary, daughter of Robert Bigham, was christened in St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, |England, and on May 5th 1803, Jean, daughter of James Bigham and Mary McCredy, was christened in Ballantrae, Ayshire. The birth of one, Margaret Biggam was recorded in Ochiltree, Ayshire, on November 12th 1856. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Bigholme, witness, which was dated 1426, Records of Edinburgh, during the reign of King James 1 of Scotland.



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Old Photograph Auld Kirk Beith Scotland

Old photograph of the Auld Kirk in Beith in North Ayrshire, Scotland. On site of original parish church. A church was built around 1590 with later 18th century extensions. The 1590 church was demolished in 1810 when a new church was built up the hill. Part of the 18th century extensions and belfry were retained with the burial ground, which contains some original gravestones. Plaque marks links with Reverend John Witherspoon, a signatory to the US Declaration of Independence and parish minister in Beith from 1745 to 1757. John Witherspoon was born on February 5, 1722, at Gifford, a parish of Yester. He was a Scottish American Presbyterian minister and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish Common Sense Realism, and while president of the College of New Jersey from 1768 to 1794; now Princeton University, became an influential figure in the development of the United States' national character. Politically active, Witherspoon was a delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress and a signatory to the July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence. He was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration. Later, he signed the Articles of Confederation and supported ratification of the Constitution. In 1789 he was Convening Moderator of the First General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. Witherspoon and his wife, Elizabeth Montgomery, had a total of 10 children, only five of which survived to accompany their parents to America. James, the eldest, a young man of great promise graduated from Princeton in 1770, and joined the American army as an aide to General Francis Nash, with the rank of major. The next youngest son, John, graduated from Princeton in 1774, practiced medicine in South Carolina, and was lost at sea in 1795. David, the youngest son, graduated the same year as his brother, married General Nash's widow, and practiced law in New Bern, North Carolina. Anna, the eldest daughter, married Reverend Samuel Smith on June 28, 1775. Reverend Samuel Smith succeeded Dr. Witherspoon as President of Princeton in 1775. Frances, the youngest daughter, married Dr. David Ramsay, a delegate from South Carolina to the continental Congress, on March 18, 1763. Witherspoon had suffered eye injuries and was blind by 1792. He died in 1794 on his farm Tusculum, just outside Princeton, and is buried along Presidents Row in Princeton Cemetery.[19] An inventory of Witherspoon's possessions taken at his death included " two slaves . . . valued at a hundred dollars each, " indicating that he owned slaves during his life.



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Old Photograph Spier's School Beith Scotland

Old photograph of Spier's School in Beith in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The school's foundation stone was laid in September 1887 in front of more than 1000 visitors and opened on 22 September 1888 with 140 pupils, mostly from North Ayrshire. The boys were taught apart from the girls until 1893 when the extra costs forced a more liberal approach to emerge. Mr. R. Bruce Lockhart from Waid Academy in Anstruther, Fife, was the first Head Master, followed by Dr Third in 1895. The school administration was in the hands of the Lord Lieutenant of the County, seven representatives of the school boards and the existing trustees as life governors, to be replaced by two heritors of the parish of Beith in due course. The peak school roll was 310 in 1933 and over 350 after new classrooms were added. By 1932 however the school was in financial difficulties and after a prolonged campaign the County Authorities took over the school in 1937. In 1968 the staff consisted of 19 full time and four itinerant teachers in the Secondary department and two in the preparatory. The school had three " houses " to which pupils belonged, Cuff, Spier's and Marshalland. The school closed on 30 June 1972 when a modern Garnock Academy was erected at Kilbirnie, taking in the secondary pupils from Spier's, Kilbirnie Central, and Dalry High.



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