Kintyre Connections - Banner Project

[Ship called Dignity]

Read an article in the Courier about this some time ago and meant to post but...

Anyway, anyone know more about this - the Kintyre Iniative Working Group appear to be behind a project to erect banners of famous Kintyre people.

A lady in America sent me an interesting e-mail sometime ago with a list of people with Kintyre connections. Suffice to say I lost it!

[Ship called Dignity]

"And then through then night, as if by magic, I received a letter from America!"

(PS - The lady who wrote this is originally from Campbeltown - many, many thanks!) This report is more particular to Campbeltown so any other famous Kintyre people out there please post!

EMINENT INDIVIDUALS BORN IN CAMPBELTOWN

Primary Sources:
The Viking Isle by Freddie Gillies
The Campbeltown Book (The Shaping of Campbeltown chapter written by Murdo MacDonald)

Medicine
Dr. George Stewart Beatson, C.B. M.D. (1814-1874). Surgeon General to HM Forces in India and Honourary Physician to the Queen.
http://www.kintyremag.co.uk/2002/52/page3.html (Kintyre Magazine)
His son, Dr.George Beatson (later Sir George Beatson) was an international pioneers in the treatment of breast cancer at the Glasgow Cancer Hospital. In 1948, following the establishment of the National Health Service, the hospital was re-named the Royal Beatson Memorial Hospital.
http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/beatson/abo ... istory.htm

Fine Arts
Sir William McTaggart R.S.A. (1835-1910), the leading Scottish landscape painter of his lifetime.
http://www.machrihanish.net/Machrihanish_McTaggart.html
Archibald MacKinnon– artist who did the cave painting
http://www.scfhs.org.uk/scfhs/articles/ ... cters.html
http://www.machrihanish.net/Machrihanish_davaar.htm
John Campbell Mitchell R.S.A. (1865-1922)
Born in Campbeltown,Argyll he studied at the Royal Scottish Academy. A painter of expansive landscapes in oils and watercolours he was elected to the RSA in 1918
Sir George Pirie P.R.S.A. (1863 -1946) (Not sure about this one.)
http://www.artandcraftsouthwestscotland ... m.asp?id=3
John A.P. McBride, sculptor (1819-1890)
unable to find web site
Peter MacGregor Wilson RSW (1856-1928) – (Web site needs to be confirmed)
http://www.artoftheprint.com/artistpage ... curlew.htm

Business and Industry
Sir William M. McKinnon, Baronet (1823-93) founder of British East Africa Company.
http://www.machrihanish.net/Machrihanis ... ltown.html
James Gerald Gulliver CVO, BSc, MSc, DUniv (Glas), FICE, FRSA (1930-1996)
http://www.ma.hw.ac.uk/RSE/fellowship/obits/1998.pdf
Food industry entrepreneur whose achievements included the formation and development of The Argyll Group plc. (now Safeway plc). Described in a Royal Society of Edinburgh obituary as;"Among the most gifted businessmen of his generation."
James McAlister Hall – Saddel Castle; donated Library and Museum
See Campbeltown Book
Archibald McEachrn, philanthropist. Established boat building company in 1877 to provide skilled employment for some of the young people in Campbeltown. (See Campbeltown Book)
David Colville (1813-98). Founder of David Colville & Sons Iron and Steelworks.
John Colville (1844-1924) Glasgow Cotton Spinning Company Limited
James Templeton (1802-1887) Carpet manufacturer.
Peter McKinlay, CB, Civil Servant whose career included heading the Scottish Prison Service. He was also chief executive of Scottish Tourist Board (twice)
Many other Campbeltown men were prominent merchants and manufacturers in Glasgow and the Clyde valley

Music
William McCallum, Piping Champion. Won his eighth title in October 2005 by winning the march, Strathspey and reel and piobaireachd sections at the prestigious Glenfiddich Piping Championship. The championship is regarded as the highlight of the international piping calendar and is restricted to the best 10 players in the world. He has also won the Tuagh Oir (Golden Axe) at the Lochaber Gathering in Fort William, an event competed for by the country's senior pipers and considered to be one of Scotland's main events. Piper & Drummer magazine awarded William Solo Piper of the year in 2000 and his flawless contribution on a CD entitled World's Greatest Pipers was voted the best solo recording of the year. In 2001 he ook the World Masters of Piping title for the second time.
Tony Wilson, Pipe Major, lead the Kintyre and District Pipe Band from the World Championships Grade Four section into Grade One in only three years, a remarkable achievement that's never likely to be equalled.
Gordon Evans, founder of Campbeltown Brass in the Grammar School nearly 20 yers ago. The band has enjoyed great success by competing in and winning events all over the U.K.
Robert Sneddon (became a bandmaster in New Zealand)
Ian Lang – defeated world champion drum major in 1960. Cowal Games Champion 1959. Won in Edinburgh, Rothesay and Greenock. 1960 led massed bands at Cowal Games.

Authors/Broadcasters
Angus McVicar Southend author, broadcaster. Wrote over 70 books and plays
Angus Martin, author and local historian - numerous books about Kintyre
Freddy Gillies, former CN fisherman – now author and local historian, lives in Gigha
Jill McGown, crime novelist
Peter Sloss – Met Office weather forecasting expert. In 2004, he was appointed weather czar by Edinburgh City Council to give officials early weather updates in advance of the City's Hogmanay parties.


Fishing Industry/ Seamen
I believe that The Clyde Fishermen's Association has provided two Presidents to the Scottish Fishermen's Federation., AIB Stewart, CBE, BL and Cecil T Finn, OBE and MBE, according to Freddy Gillies.
http://www.sff.co.uk/clyde.php
A.I.B. Stewart, solicitor and a leading advocate for the Scottish fishing industry. His foremost acheivement was the founding in 1973 of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation.
http://www.kintyremag.co.uk/1998/23/index.html
Cecil Finn O.B.E awarded for his contributions to the fishing industry. He is a former President of Scottish Fishermen's Federation. (According to Freddy Gillies, Cecil has the O.B.E. and M.B.E.)
Duncan Newlands, celebrated lifeboat coxwain who received an OBE (I think) for the daring rescue of the Byron Darnton.
Lifeboat Secretaries and Crews
From what I've read recently, eleven RNLI medals for gallantry have been awarded to the station, three silver and eight Bronze. The last, a Silver, was awarded in 1982 to Coxswain Mechanic Alexander Gilchrist after the rescue of fourteen crew members of a trawler on 2 October 1981.
http://www.it-serve.co.uk/poetry/Other/ ... yswork.php
Petty Officer Neil MacLean Speed DSM - for gallantry during the Dunkirk evacuation
Neil Speed and James (Jim) Meenan received Board of Trade Awards for their lifesaving actions in the tragic sinking of the MLV Quesada.
Robert (Hoodie) Robertson, fishing boat owner, pioneer of developments leading to the herring ring-net fishing industry.
Malcolm Beveridge and Ronald J. Roberts are among the world's top half-dozen distinguised scientists in the field of aquaculture.

Law – see A.I.B. Stewart

SportsBelle McCorkindale Robertson, Scottish Ladies Golf Chamption and Curtis Cup Team Member.
Her illustrious career earned her much silver and great respect in the golfing world.
Isabelle Wylie, a former Scottish Girls Golf Champion and a regular winner of the British Police Championships.
CN Former Pupils won the Scottish Amateur Football Leque Championship in 1999/2000 season.
Jock MacVicar, leading sports writer for Daily Express; specialises in golf-related articles.
(son of Angus McVicar, author/broadcaster)

[Campbeltown Lass]

What about Naomi Mitchison from Carradale?
And George McIntyre the famous piper/composer/WW2 concentration camp veteran/personal piper to the Duke of Argyll
Not sure about that last bit but he lived in Minard castle over the late 80s/early 90s and was personal piper to whoever lived there!

[paraffin man]

There was a bit on this at the last KIWG meeting.

Someone was to co-ordinate the ideas of people or interesting facts that could be considered for the banners, i cant remember who or where the ideas were to go to, but i will find out.

The idea is to hace changes of banners throughout the year during the different seasons that should be really easy at the moment cos we only seem to be getting one.....winter!!!

i will find out where the ideas have to go & let everyone know.

[linda]

What about Fiona Robertson who won Bronze medal at the 1990 commonwealth games held in New Zealand and her twin sister Donna who won Bronze in the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester.

[Sweltered]

What about Davi "Zara" Galbraith, six times British Police Golf Champion.

[richandsusy]

What about Naomi Mitchison from Carradale?
And George McIntyre the famous piper/composer/WW2 concentration camp veteran/personal piper to the Duke of Argyll
Not sure about that last bit but he lived in Minard castle over the late 80s/early 90s and was personal piper to whoever lived there!

I was lucky enough to be stationed at RAF Machrihanish as a 19 yr. old US Navy sailor. I met and eventually married Elizabeth McCulloch McIntyre who was George McIntyre's daughter. I used to love the sing-alongs we'd have at his home in Drumlemble and the stories about his only weapon he had when he was captured by the Germans - his bagpipes. Many of the bagpipe tunes he wrote were written while a POW for 5 years. He used to tell stories about rare events when a rat would happen into the POW compound and how the prisoner who was lucky enough to catch one got to keep and eat it. One of my most treasured keepsakes is a skeeindoo (obviously misspelled) that was part of his Campbeltown Pipe Band uniform. George spent time at Minard castle as Lord Reginald Gayre personal piper. The last time I saw George was at my wife's funeral in Campbeltown in 1987. It was rumored that George committed suicide by hanging himself several years later when he found out he had cancer.