Lossiemouth

David West Artist

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Dear blog reader

This blog post is about David West, an artist from Lossiemouth, the 5th cousin of my paternal great, great grandfather John Murray.

I was inspired to blog about David West because the Lossiemouth Heritage Association blogged about David recently but unfortunately their sources hadn’t been checked correctly and they managed to combine 2 different artists.

As is my usual family history blogging style, I’ll outline David’s standard family history events, birth, marriage, death and census entries, then I’ll quote David’s extensive newspaper obituary which contains much excellent detail of David’s life.

David was born on 12 November 1868 at Branderburgh, now part of Lossiemouth, to James West, a master mariner, and Margaret Reid. In the 1871 census the West family are split between different households, 2 in King Street and 1 in Smithfield, all Lossiemouth. In the 1881 census David was a scholar living at the Deaniry in Lossiemouth with 3 of his siblings in household headed up by a couple in their 70s, William and Margaret Humphrey.

In the 1891 census David was describing himself as a landscape artist and was visiting a couple, John and Isabella Russell, at Wester Covesea farmhouse near Lossiemouth. In the 1901 census David was living at ‘The Studio’ in Lossiemouth and was describing himself as an artist.

On 15 April 1908 David married Jessie Christie at St Gerardine’s Church, Lossiemouth. I shall look at firstly the official government record as per David and Jessie’s marriage certificate and secondly the newspaper report of their wedding.

On their marriage certificate David gave his occupation as RSW (which stands for the Royal Society of Scottish Painters in Watercolour), was living at Chilkoot, Lossiemouth and at age 38 married 24 year old Jessie Christie who was the daughter of William Christie who was hotel keeper of the hotel in Stotfield (now part of Lossiemouth) that Jessie was living at when she married.

The Aberdeen Press & Journal dated 17 April 1908 gives a more human account of the wedding you might say:

‘An exceedingly pretty wedding was celebrated in St Gerardine’s Church on Wednesday afternoon, the contracting parties being Miss Jessie Christie, second daughter of Mr William Christie, of the Stotfield Hotel, and Mr David West, artist. The Church was beautifully decorated for the occasion. There was a large number of guests and the general public was also well represented. The bride was given away by her father; and her bridesmaids were Miss Coney Christie, sister of the bride, and Miss Gray, a niece of the bridegroom. Mr West was supported by Mr John Peterkin. The marriage ceremony was performed by Rev Norman McLeod, minister of St Gerardine’s, assisted by Rev J W Robertson, High United Free Church, Lossiemouth. The music and hymns were appropriate to the occasion, and Mr Boothroyd, Elgin, presided with much acceptance at the organ. After the ceremony, the guests adjourned to the Stotfield Hotel, where a sumptuous luncheon was served, and the health of the couple heartily pledged. Shortly afterwards, Mr and Mrs West left by motor for the south. A dance was held at the Stotfield Hotel in the evening. Presents to the bride and groom were numerous’.

In the 1911 census David and Jessie were living at Chilkoot in Lossiemouth, with David describing himself as a painter (artist). In the 1921 census David and Jessie were still at Chilkoot, with their two eldest children, Hamish, 7 and a scholar, and Ronald, 2.

David suddenly died on Glasgow in 1936 after having a seizure at an art exhibition. Similar to David and Jessie’s wedding, I’ll look at David’s death certificate first and then David’s extensive newspaper obituary.

David’s death certificate confirms that David West, an artist painter, married to Jessie Christie, died on 8 October 1936 at 152 Bath Street, Glasgow (usual residence Chilkoot, Lossiemouth), parents James West, master mariner, and Margaret Reid with a cause of death of probably natural decay and cardiac failure. I find that cause of death very interesting because David’s unofficial cause of death is a seizure. Possibly the seizure description came from witnesses.

This is David’s gravestone in Lossiemouth cemetery:

David’s obiturary in the Aberdeen Press and Journal, dated 9 October 1936, is incredibly detailed about his life:

‘LOSSIE ARTIST’S DEATH.

MR DAVID WEST’S SEIZURE AT ART EXHIBITION.

FAMOUS SEASCAPE PAINTER

Mr David West, Chilkoot, Lossiemouth, the well-known north of Scotland artist and seascape painter died suddenly yesterday morning in Glasgow.

Mr West had a seizure while visiting the Royal Art Exhibition there, where he had several of his works on view. He was sixty eight years of age.

LIFE OF ADVENTURE

A son of the late Captain James West, Lossiemouth, who was in command of a sailing schooner which plied between the Moray Firth and the Baltic, Mr West had a varied life full of adventure.

He was educated at Lossiemouth and Aberdeen Grammar School, and on leaving school he went to sea in his father’s ships. As a young man he saw a large part of the world.

In 1898 he took part in the memorable Klondyke gold rush.

Always fond of his native Morayshire, he returned to Lossiemouth and set up a studio. His exceptional ability in oil painting was not long in being recognised, and when still in his twenties he had won for himself wide repute as a landscape painter. As a painter of the sea, the sandy wastes and the sky along the Moray Firth coast, and of old sailing boats, he was unsurpassed.

SEASCAPE SCENES

Some of Mr West’s pictures of typical Moray land and seascape scenes have been on view at the Aberdeen Artists’ Society exhibitions and in many parts of the counrty.

Recently the Duchess of Northumberland, while on holiday in Lossiemouth, visited his studo and purchased two typical Moray seascae works.

Morat Firth people resident in foreign parts treasured his pictures.

Some years ago Mr West went to America, and sold a number of his pictures there. Since then Americans visiting this country have sought out his studio to make purchases.

He was on the council of the Royal Scottish Water Colour Society.

WAR SERVICE

During the Great War Mr West served in an ambulance corps.

Keenly interested in the affairs of the community, he took a big share in the public life not only of Lossiemouth, but also in that of the county. His wide experience and knowledge were invaluable in the administration of the town, and during his term of office in Lossiemouth Town Council and Moray Education Authority he was a thoroughly respected member.

A scratch golfer in his youth, Mr West always retained connection with the Moray Golf Club, although latterly he could not take part in active competition.

EXPERT ANGLER

As a rod and line angler he was a recognised expert, and spent much of time fishing in the rivers Spey and Lossie.

Mr West had been failing in health for some time.

He is a survived by a wife, who is the daughter of the late Provost Christie, Lossiemouth, and two sons, the elder of whom is in the R.A.F. abroad, and the younger is still at Elgin Academy.

Dr J R Levack, Aberdeen, is a cousin.’

Finally, I can’t show you any of David’s paintings here due to copyright but David’s paintings are truly gorgeous. Please just Google ‘David West artist’ in order to admire David’s amazing talent.

Sources: Scotland’s People website for birth, marriage, death and census entries, Find a Grave website for David West’s gravestone and British Newspaper Archive for David West’s obituary.

A Photo Surprise

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Hi blog readers.

This blog post is about an amazing surprise during a British Newspaper Archive webinar a few years ago when I suddenly spotted a family photo that I’d seen bits of before but never the whole photo.

This is the photo and story that appeared in ‘The Sketch’ (an illustrated weekly journal) on 28th September 1898:

Five generations of the Murray family.

‘Here is an interesting family of five generations.

The patriarch of the five generations is John Murray, who lives at Jamestown, Buckie, N.B. [North Britain]. He was the first fisherman to discover the use of herring bait for catching white-fish, and, though now in his ninetieth year, continue to enjoy excellent health.

His son, William Murray, is sixty-nine; he follows the vocation of his father at Lossiemouth. Mr John Murray’s granddaughter, Margaret Murray, or Cowie, thirty-eight years of age, resides at Buckie; she, again, has a daughter, Margaret, in her nineteenth year, whose infant son, aged six months, constitutes the fifth generation of this unique family of fisher-folk.’

I will now describe the lives of the five people in the picture above.

John Murray is my paternal 4 x great uncle:

John Murray

John Murray’s baptism record doesn’t appear in the records of any Church though he clearly believed that he was born in 1808, hence the family photo to celebrate his 90th birthday. John Murray and Margaret Geddes, both of Rathven parish, were married on 13th July 1834 in Rathven parish.

In the 1841 census I suspect John was away fishing as there’s an 1841 census entry in Nether Buckie, now known as Buckpool, for Margaret, 24, and their 3 eldest children, Helen, 6, William (in the main photo above), 4 and Peter, 2. In the 1851 census John, 40 and a fisherman, and Margaret, 38, are living in the lane north west of the market in Buckie with their children, Helen, 16, William, 14, Peter, 13, James, 10, Janet, 7, and Margaret, 2.

In the 1861 census, the family are working away from home at Wilkhaven Shore, Tarbat, Ross and Cromarty and we have, together, John, 48, Margaret, 46, Peter, 22, James, 16, Janet, 14, Margaret, 12, Isabella, 10, John, 6, and George, 3, along with 2 domestic servants Betsy Higgerty and James Geddes. John and Peter were working as fishermen. and John (junior) was at school. In the 1871 census, John, 58, was living at Kinneddar Street, Lossiemouth with his wife Margaret, 57, and their children Margaret, 18, Isabella, 16, John, 13, and George, 11. In 1871 John was a fisherman and John, junior, and George were at school.

In the 1881 census John, 69, and Margaret, 68, were still living at Kinneddar Street and John was still a fisherman. In the 1891 census John, 79, and Margaret, 78, were living at 19 Kinneddar Street and John was now a retired fisherman.

In 1900 John died at 9 Blantyre Place, Ianstown, Buckie, aged 91 years, with a cause of death of decay of old age.

The next oldest person in the photo is John’s son, William:

William Murray

Similar to his father, there’s no record of William’s baptism in any Church records. We’ve already seen William in the 1841 and 1851 censuses. William married for the first time, on 28th December 1856, to Isabella Smith, a 20 year old from Portessie. Isabella was a domestic servant, William a fisherman and banns were according to the forms of the Established Church of Scotland. In 1861 William and Isabella were clearly near William’s parents: at Wilkhaven Shore, Tarbat, Ross and Cromarty there’s a household comprising of William, 26, Isabella, 26, their 2 daughters, Margaret, 5 (in the main photo above), Ann, 1, and Isabella Sutherland, a domestic servant. Tragically Isabella died of phthisis pulmonalis (ie tuberculosis) on 8th June 1865 at Buckie.

On 28th September 1866, William re-married to Catherine Thomson (who’s actually also related to me on a different ancestral line) at Branderburgh (now part of Lossiemouth) after banns according to the forms of the Roman Catholic Church. In the 1871 census William and Catherine are living at Kinneddar Street, Lossiemouth with 3 children, one from William’s first marriage. William’s household in 1871 consists of William, 37, Catherine, 37, Margaret, 9, John, 3, and Peter, 1. William was a fisherman and Margaret was at school. In the 1881 census William and Catherine are living at 21 Kinneddar Street, Lossiemouth with 4 of their children: the household was William, 44, Catherine, 42, John, 13, Peter, 11, Mary, 6, and Helen, 4. William was a fisherman, John was recorded as both at school and a fisherman and Peter and Mary were at school.

In the 1891 census William and Catherine were living at 42 Kinneddar Street, Lossiemouth with 2 of their daughters as a household of William, 53, Catherine, 53, Mary, 15, and Helen, 14. William was a fisherman and Mary and Helen were both domestic servants. In the 1901 census William and Catherine were still living at 42 Kinneddar Street with a servant, the household comprising William, 63, Catherine, 63, and Agnes Dowie. In 1911 William was a 75 year old retired fisherman and a widower, living at 42 Kinneddar Street, Lossiemouth with his daughter Helen, 34, his son-in-law Alexander Cambell, 37, and his grandchildren, Jessie, 9, James George, 7, Catherine, 5, and Alex, 5 months. Alexander was a fisherman and Jessie, James and Catherine were at school. William died at 42 Kinneddar Street on 10th March 1913 from apoplexy (probably a stroke).

The next oldest person in the photo is John Murray’s grand-daughter Margaret:

Margaret Murray

Margaret was born on 8 May 1859 in Buckie to William Murray and his first wife Isabella. We’ve already seen Margaret in the 1861 and 1871 censuses. On 27th September 1878 19 year old Margaret married a 20 year old fisherman, Alexander Stewart, at Kinneddar Street, Lossiemouth after banns according to the forms of the Church of Scotland. In the 1881 census Margaret and Alexander were living at 15 James Street, Lossiemouth with this as the household: Alexander, 23, fisherman, Margaret, 21, and Margaret, 6 months (in the main photo above). Tragically Alexander died at sea, off Aberdeen, on the 7th of August 1885. In the 1891 census Margaret was living at 57 Queen Street, Lossiemouth with this household: Margaret, 31, with her daughters Margaret, 10, Isabella, 8, and Alexandrina, 5. Margaret was a grocer and all 3 of her daughters were at school. Margaret re-married on 15th December 1893 at Queen Street, Lossiemouth, after banns according to the forms of the Baptist Church, to a 47 year-old fisherman from Portessie, George Cowie. Margaret was quite the entrepreneur – I guess perhaps she had to be in order to keep her family especially when widowed -when she re-married in 1893 she was a grocery merchant.

In the 1901 census Margaret and George had moved from Lossiemouth and were living at 65 West Church Street, Buckie, with 3 generations as this household: George, 55, Margaret, 41, Margaret (Stewart), 20, Alexandrina (Stewart), 18, Alexander, 6, James (in the main photo above) (Stewart), 3, and Catherine, 6 months. James was Margaret’s grandson and Margaret and Alexandrina were Margaret’s children by her first husband. In the 1911 census Margaret, George and 2 of their children had moved to the west coast to Mallaig (of course another Scottish fishing port) with this as a household: George Cowie, 65, Margaret, 57, Alexander, 16, Catherine, 10, and Amelia Flett, a domestic servant. George and Alexander were fishermen and Catherine was at school.

Margaret died on 24th March 1922 at 35 Ritchie Street, West Kilbride, Ayrshire from apoplexy (a stroke, the same as Margaret’s father William) and hemiplegia ie paralysis (presumably from the stroke).

The next oldest in the photo is John Murray’s great grand-daughter Margaret:

Margaret Stewart

Margaret Stewart was born 27th September 1880 in Lossiemouth. We’ve already seen Margaret in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 censuses. On the 22nd of February 1907 at 67 Oswald Street, Glasgow, 24 year old Margaret married a 20 year old journeyman slater, William Martindale, who was living at Osborn House, Largs. Margaret was living at 222 Elliott Street, Glasgow. This marriage was away from any Church and took place by warrant of the sheriff-substitute of Lanarkshire in front of witnesses Alexandrina Stewart and Mary Elliott. Thus 67 Oswald Street was probably a solicitor’s office. Such a form of marriage usually was due to wanting a quick wedding (often in wartimes there were such marriages via a sherriff’s warrant) or a quiet wedding. We already know that Alexandrina was Margaret’s sister.

In the 1911 census William and Margaret were living at 34 Gateside Street, West Kilbride, the household being: William, 25, Margaret, 29 and their two daughters, Alexandrina, 3, and Margaret, 2. William was a slater and an employer. Margaret died on 20th February 1955 at Silverae, Orchard Street, West Kilbride from a cerebral thrombosis (ie a stroke, similar to the previous 2 generations).

Now to the youngest in the photo, John Murray’s great, great grandson, the baby James:

James Stewart

James Stewart was born on 22nd February 1898 at 65 Church Street, Buckie. James was illegitimate, ie his parents were not married, and his birth certificate has no father’s name. We’ve already seen James in the 1901 census with his mother and grandparents. In the 1911 census James is not with his grandparents or his mother. From then on unfortunately James is a mystery to me. If anyone has James in their family tree please get in touch!

Sources: The photo and article from the British Newspaper Archive website, 1841 to 1901 census entries from the Ancestry website and birth, marriage and death certificates and the 1911 censuses from the Scotland’s People website.

The Comet Star collides with another boat

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This blog post is about my paternal great, great-grandfather who was born in Morayshire in the north-east of Scotland but who lived his whole life in Banffshire in the north-east of Scotland.

My great, great-grandfather George Cowie was born in lodgings in Lossiemouth in 1866, baptised in St Sylvester’s Church in Elgin in 1866 5 days after his birth (perhaps his parents were on their way home to Buckie, I find the different place for his baptism curious), married Mary Cowie (my great, great-grandmother) in 1890 at the Free Church of Scotland in Buckie, died in 1932 at Titness Street, Buckie and is buried in the New Cemetery in Buckpool. The censuses have George living in Cluny Street, Buckie in 1871 and Gordon Street, Buckie from 1881 to 1911.

As with most of my paternal grandmother’s family, George was a fisherman and most of his ancestors were fishermen.

This is George:

George Cowie

A useful tip for fellow family history researchers is to search databases such as digitised newspapers with your ancestor’s address and surname and this is how I discovered the story of George crashing his fishing boat the Comet Star into another stationary fishing boat.

About four o’clock in the afternoon of 3rd August 1908, in clear, good weather, a fishing boat named the Pearl from Lerwick, Shetland was sailing along at a speed of between 2 and 3 knots an hour, when my great, great-grandfather’s boat, the Comet Star, was spotted approaching, under both steam and sail power, at a speed of about 10 knots an hour, ie travelling much faster than the Pearl.

The crew of the Pearl shouted at the crew of the Comet Star to warn them of the danger but regardless the Comet Star crashed into the Pearl and caused such damage that the Pearl sank within 5 minutes.

The joint owners of the stream drifter Comet Star, which was registered in Banff, were George Cowie of 46 Gordon Street, Buckie, my great, great-grandfather, and Alexander Cowie of 68 Seatown, Buckie, with George being master of the boat and Alexander mate. (Cowie is a very common surname in the Buckie area and I have lots of people with the surname Cowie people in my family tree so I’ve yet to work out if George and Alexander were related). The owners of the Pearl were Robert Inkster and Francis Garrioch, both merchants in Scalloway, Shetland. and the Pearl had a crew of seven.

The owners of the Pearl sued for £589 7s 6d each and the crew of the Pearl sued in total for £270 1s 3d to cover their share of the loss of profits, the long time they spent in the water, the shock they suffered from and the value of the loss of their clothing and effects.

George Cowie and Alexander Cowie said that they had a qualified and competent seaman at the wheel, that it wasn’t customary or necessary to have a look-out on drifters and that it wasn’t necessary for the master or mate to be constantly on deck. They denied that the collision was caused by any fault of theirs (I do wonder if this implies they were blaming whoever they had on look-out) and that they lost no time in sending their boat to rescue the crew of the Pearl. They admitted liability for the collision but claimed that the amount they were being sued for was excessive and that legally their liability was limited to £8 per ton ie a total of £477 7s 6d.

George Cowie and Alexander Cowie were sued for a total of £1448 16s 3d, equivalent to approximately £113,250 nowadays.

George Cowie and Alexander Cowie eventually agreed to pay £900 (equivalent to approximately £70,350 nowadays) plus expenses and the case was taken out of court.

There were reports in the newspapers in both January and March of 1909 reflecting 2 sections of the court case brought by the owners of the boat that George Cowie and Alexander Cowie crashed into.

Sources: personal and family knowledge, the Scotland’s People website (birth, marriage and death certificates and censuses), the Find My Past website (George Cowie’s baptism), the British Newspaper Archive website, Aberdeen Press & Journal 14 January 1909, Banffshire Advertiser 18 March 1909, Aberdeen Press & Journal 18 March 1909 The Orkney Herald (which also covered Shetland) 24 March 1909 and the currency converter on The National Archives website.

(For the benefit of anyone else researching families in the fishing communities of the north-east of Scotland, the tee-names or by-names, ie the local nicknames, of my great, great-grandparents were Cowie Pum and Cowie Dosie).