Stevenston - On This Day In History

Published stories from each town's past.
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John Donnelly
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

Post by John Donnelly »

Penny Tray wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2019 8:19 am GLASGOW HERALD
6 DECEMBER 1895

THE STORM
Stevenston:
A wooden theatre in New Street suffered some injury.
Now that has got me thinking.
Anybody got any theories?
JD.
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brian f
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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John, Have a read of this. www.theatrestrust.org.uk

Eighteenth-century theatres
The Licensing Act of 1737 tightened censorship of drama, placing it under the control of the Lord Chamberlain. Only patent theatres were able to perform drama – known as legitimate theatre. Non-patent theatres performed melodrama, pantomime, ballet, opera and music hall (burlesque). As these involved music or musical interludes they could not be classed as plays and were regarded as illegitimate theatre so were not subject to the Licensing Act.

Later, a series of royal patents were granted to cities outside London. These became known as “Theatres Royal”. Many still operate and were built in a restrained neo-classical style.Truro Theatre RoyalImage showing the façade of the former Theatre Royal, Truro.

Also in the eighteenth century, companies of players began to travel on regular circuits between market towns. They set up their own theatres, called playhouses, which were similar in shape and size. This enabled stock scenery to be easily erected and reused, which made touring easier. Hundreds were built, of modest size and exterior. Their interiors were simple, consisting of a rectangular flat-floored room with a stage that projected into the audience. People sat on benched seating on the floor in front of the stage, or on balconies against the three remaining walls supported by columns or wooden posts. Any scenery was placed at the rear of the stage. The rich could pay a little more in order to sit on the stage, not only for better viewing, but also to be seen by the rest of the audience and the cast. These theatres were open for limited periods, and when not needed for performances could be used for other functions, for example as assembly rooms or ballrooms.

Theatres had mainly wooden interiors which were always at risk of fire. In 1794 the Drury Lane Theatre, London introduced the first iron safety curtain, which would eventually become a statutory requirement in all large theatres. It also had a large water tank on its roof – a feature that was adopted by other theatres – to extinguish fire in the stage area. The theatre also began to make its scenery more fire-resistant.

By the end of the century the façades of many city theatres were built in the more imposing classical style. Some even had porticoes, similar to those seen on the front of large city homes or country houses. They were added mainly for show, but a few enabled the rich to descend from their carriages and enter the theatre without being exposed to any inclement weather.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
7 DECEMBER 1897

STEVENSTON SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PARISH MINISTER

Last night at the monthly meeting of this Board – Mr. George Sinclair presiding – the officer reported that he had summoned Rev. J. R. Kyd before the Board owing to his children not attending school.

Mr. J. Kirkland, writer, Saltcoats, said he appeared for the Rev. Mr. Kyd. The chairman said that Mr. Kirkland could only appear on sufferance.

Mr. Kirkland said he appeared for Mr. Kyd, but he did not want to insist upon his position. He pointed out that the statement in the summons that Mr. Kyd had failed to provide efficient elementary education for his children was incorrect. Mr. Kyd’s children were being educated at home in such a way that should the Board appoint an examiner it would no doubt be found that they were properly educated. He wished to point out that no steps had been taken by the Board to ascertain whether the children were being educated or not. The proceedings initiated against Mr. Kyd he considered therefore to be quite unwarrantable in the circumstances. From the position of Mr. Kyd as parish minister there should be a presumption that he would first of all attend to the education of his ow children. The Board had not taken steps to ascertain if the children were being educated and he considered their action unjustifiable and a gross abuse of the statutory powers entrusted to School Boards.

THE CHAIRMAN – The Board as a whole are quite well aware that Mr. Kyd, as a man and a minister, is as anxious about educating his children as anyone. I have no desire to go into this case in an uncharitable or unkind way, but the Board is elected to look after the education of the parish, and they would be neglecting that duty if they did not look to the parish minister. If Mr. Kyd would send his children to the public school examination that would satisfy the Board.

After some discussion, it was agreed to delay the matter for a month.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
7 DECEMBER 1897

AYRSHIRE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

This Association met at Kilmarnock last night – Mr. William Gibson, Stevenston, presiding.

The team to meet Renfrewshire in the inter-county match at Underwood Park, Paisley, on Monday, 3rd January, was made up as follows: -

Watt (Kilwinning); Dick (Parkhouse); Anderson (Stevenston); McDonald (Beith); Edgar (Kilmarnock Athletic); Campbell (Kilwinning); Dales (Annbank); Salmond (Stevenston); Gallocher (Galston); Donnell )Annbank); and Muir (Parkhouse).
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
7 DECEMBER 1896

FOOBTALL
SALTCOATS ROSEBANK v. STEVENSTON ATHLETIC
At Stevenston


Result: - Athletic, 1; Rosebank, 0.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
7 DECEMBER 1891

FOOTBALL
STEVENSTON THISTLE v. BEITH


At Knockbuckle Park, Beith, the attendance being very thin.

The home players scored 5 goals in rapid succession, and in the second period put on another, the visitors, who played with 10 men, scoring twice.

Result: - Beith, 6 goals; Stevenston Thistle, 2.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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Hi, Brian.
Thanks for that illuminating piece on the theatres. I had no idea of that kind of history.
As we've said so often on here, 'every day is a school day.'
I was also hoping somebody could tell me where the theatre was in Stevenston.
I've never heard of such a thing in the town.
JD.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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John Donnelly wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2019 11:42 am Hi, Brian.
Thanks for that illuminating piece on the theatres. I had no idea of that kind of history.
As we've said so often on here, 'every day is a school day.'
I was also hoping somebody could tell me where the theatre was in Stevenston.
I've never heard of such a thing in the town.
JD.
JD,

I have made two previous postings about such structures, one where permission to erect a temporary wooden theatre in Canal Street, Saltcoats, was refused by the Town Council; and the other, where residents in Quay Street, Saltcoats, raised a petition to have one removed because it had overlapped on to the roadway from the ground on which it was supposed to be. Obviously temporary structures in their nature.

The one damaged in Stevenston was maybe in New Street simply for the pantomime season?????
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
8 DECEMBER 1898

STEVENSTON PARISH COUNCIL ELECTION

Result: - Laidlaw, 580; Young, 546; Becket, 430; Sinclair, 413; Orr, 396; Montgomery, 356; Thomson, 341; Donaldson, 319; and Mitchell, 303.

Unsuccessful – Wilson, 251; McGee, 226; Brown, 207; Oswald, 182; Forsyth, 158; and McMillan, 138.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
8 DECEMBER 1890

ARDEER GOLF CLUB

The competition for the Robertson monthly medal took place on Saturday.

The medal was won by Mr. William Tulloch with a score of 100 – less 14 – 86.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
8 DECEMBER 1890

FOOTBALL
KILBIRNIE v. STEVENSTON THISTLE
At Kilbirnie


Result: - Kilbirnie, 6; Stevenston Thistle, 1.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
8 DECEMBER 1898

CHURCH APPOINTMENT

Mr. James Barbour, Ardrossan, has been elected organist of Stevenston Parish Church.
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