Stevenston - On This Day In History

Published stories from each town's past.
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CASUALTY OF WAR
14 SEPTEMBER 1915

Died on service, Private JOHN BEVERIDGE, (24) 13TH Battalion Royal Scots – Theatre of war, France and Flanders – son of John and Susan Beveridge, Ardeer Square, Stevenston; and husband of Nellie Breckenridge Beveridge, 14 Parkend Road, Saltcoats.

The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald subsequently reported: -

“Private John Beveridge, 13th Royal Scots, whose wife resides at Parkend Road, Saltcoats, was killed in France on 14th September.

Private Beveridge was a Stevenston man, and his family reside at Ardeer Square, Stevenston. He was twenty-six years of age, and was only married a year and one week. He leaves a widow and a very young child.

The circumstances surrounding his death are extremely sad. He was in the trenches on September 14th, and was writing a postcard to his wife, when he was struck by a piece of shell. Before being taken away on a stretcher he handed the postcard to a comrade and asked him to post it. On the way to the dressing station, while on the stretcher, he was struck by another piece of shell and killed.

While in Stevenston he was employed as a miner at the Auchenharvie Colliery, and was well known in the district.”
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GLASGOW HERALD
14 SEPTEMBER 1889

STEVENSTON HORICULTURAL SOCIETY

The annual show took place yesterday in the Public School. Taken as a whole, the exhibition was very good. Owing to the early season the display of cut flowers was scarcely so large as formerly, but the exhibition was very fine.

Pot plants were largely represented, many beautiful specimens in this class.

From Ardeer Gardens, the Dynamite Gardens, and Mr Main, Ardeer Cottage, splendid collections of greenhouse plants were shown. Dr. Bird and James Lithgow had fine collections for exhibition.

The collection of vegetables was large and the quality very fine. There was a good show of fruit.
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CASUALTY OF WAR
14 SEPTEMBER 1917

Died on service, Private JOHN DAVIDSON DICKSON, (20), Service No. 45792, 16th Battalion Royal Scots – Theatre of war, France and Flanders – born at Blairgowrie, Enlisted at Ardeer; son of Andrew and Anne Dickson, Cairn Cottage, Rosemount, Blairgowrie.
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GLASGOW HERALD
15 SEPTEMBER 1883

STEVENSTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIEITY

Yesterday the annual exhibition of the Stevenston Horticultural Society was held in the Public School.

The favourable weather of the past week enabled cultivators to bring forward their exhibits under favourable conditions, and the result was a display of flowers and vegetables very creditable to the district.
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GLASGOW HERALD
15 SEPTEMBER 1886

STEVENSTON SCHOOL BOARD

This Board met on Monday evening in the Public School – Mr William Kerr (in the absence of the Chairman) presiding.

The attendance officer having submitted his report, the Board were engaged for some time in hearing the cases of defaulters, in the course of which an angry altercation took place between Mr Gemmell and Mr Bicket. The latter asked the Chairman to call Mr Gemmell to order, and said the members would not remain if the remarks were continued.

Mr Gemmell continued to speak, whereupon most of the members left the meeting.
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GLASGOW HERALD
16 SEPTEMBER 1889

FOOTBALL
UNITED ABSTAINERS v. STEVENSTON THISLE

At Victoria Park, Crosshill

Result: - Abstainers, 0; Stevenston, 5.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
16 SEPTEMBER 1895

INQUIRY INTO AUCHENHARVIE COLLIERY DISASTER

Probably the most important inquiry under the Fatal Accidents (Scotland) Act was that held last week into the causes and incidents of the lamentable disaster at Auchenharvie Colliery.

The event is still fresh in the public recollection as one of the most distressing accidents in the history of Scottish mining, and as having called forth remarkable heroism in the work of rescue.

It is noteworthy that the coalfield of Stevenston, in the neighbourhood of which the Auchenharvie Pit is situated, is the eldest in Scotland. The minerals in the district have been worked from time immemorial and unfortunately the records have not been complete.

Between the old Stevenston coalfield and the Auchenharvie coalfield is a natural barrier of whin dyke, called the “Gaw,” which by common agreement was never to be cut, but was to be retained as an impenetrable division between the old workings and the new. It thus acted as a bulkhead in a compartment ship, and should have preserved the mine from flooding by the spread of water from the old pit. But at some period unknown and unrecorded this barrier seems to have been cut from the Stevenston side, and when the new workings reached the point where the barrier had been weakened the water rushed through. And with how little warning it came is shown by the evidence of the working miners, who had never regarded the pit as a wet one, and who on the first indications on the day of the accident thought it only roof water.

According to the testimony of Mr Ronaldson, Inspector of Mines, there was nothing to indicate the presence of the old pit, which is not marked on either of the Ordnance Survey or the geological maps of the district, and its existence was entirely unknown to the owners of the colliery until after the accident.

As the Sheriff said in his charge to the jury, there was nothing in the condition of the pit prior to or on the day of the accident to suggest any apprehension from the proximity of the old workings, and, according to the evidence there was no shadow of such apprehension among the miners. The accident, then, arose from unknown causes and was unpreventable.

It has been clearly established that the management was in no way blameworthy.

To the memorable story of the rescue and of the deeds of individual heroism with which the public were made familiar at the time, an important addition is provided by the inquiry.

It is now in evidence that the whole of the rescue operations were planned and carried out by the officials of the owners of the mine, all of whose colliery managers were present day after day.

As some misapprehensions existed at the time this work was going on, it is proper to put on record the strenuous efforts made by the company and their employees (alone or with aid of only two volunteers from outside) to rescue the men from their perilous plight.

If these efforts were unsuccessful in the case of nine unfortunate victims, it is at least consolatory to know that the utmost was done that it was possible to do.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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CASUALTY OF WAR
17 SEPTEMBER 1918

Died on service, Private THOMAS MILLER, (27), 9TH Battalion Gordon Highlanders, Theatre of war, France and Flanders – husband of Mrs E. Miller, 16 Limekiln Road, Stevenston.

The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald subsequently reported: -

“Mrs Miller, 16 Limekiln Road, Stevenston, has received word that her husband, Private Thomas Miller, Gordon Highlanders, has died of wounds.

Private Miller belonged to Ireland, his parents residing at “The Villa,” Ballybay, and before coming to Stevenston he was employed as a designer with a Belfast firm.

Before enlisting on 24th August, 1916, he was engaged as a cordite worker in Nobel’s factory.

He came through a lot of severe fighting, and was gassed once, but otherwise escaped until he received his fatal wound.”
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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Kilmarnock Herald and Ayrshire Gazette
September 18, 1942

Prisoners of War

The following are reported from an Italian source to be prisoners of war :

Trooper Mauriec Moscovitch. (7924989), of 137 Bullgary Crescent, Cupar, Fife;

Sergeant James MacMillan (995660) of 1 Donaldson Avenue, Stevenston.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
18 SEPTEMBER 1900

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RAILWAY

Yesterday forenoon GEORGE DOCHERTY McLEAN, aged seven years, son of a furnaceman at Ardeer Square, Stevenston, was run down and killed on the Glasgow & South-Western Railway.

The lad, with his brother and two other boys, had been playing on the sandhills, and deceased wandered on to the railway and sat down on the up line with his back towards Kilwinning.

When the train approached, his companions, who were at the fence, ran to the foot of the embankment, and after it passed they called to him but receiving no reply they searched for him, and found his body lying on the four-foot way.
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GLASGOW HERALD
19 SEPTEMBER 1887

FOOTBALL – AYRSHIRE CUP TIE
STEVENSTON THISTLE v. NEWMILNS

Played at Stevenston

Result: - Thistle, no goals; Newmilns, 4 goals.
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Re: Stevenston - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
19 SEPTEMBER 1888

FIVE HOUSES BURNED AT STEVENSTON

About three o’clock yesterday afternoon a fire took place at some small thatched houses near the old Free Church on the east side of New Street. The houses are back tenements, five in number, four having thatch roofs and one being slated.

At the time stated the thatch roof of one of the hoses near the centre of the row was observed to be on fire, and the flames spread so quickly that very soon the others were in a blaze. Nothing could be done to save the roofs as the thatch was very dry, and the flames spread with great rapidity.

There is no fire brigade or fire engine in the town, and the water had to be carried in pails.

With the help of neighbours the furniture of the tenants was removed to a place of safety, and as each house consisted of one apartment only this was speedily done. The houses were gutted, only the walls being left standing.

The names of the tenants are Alexander Campbell, James McKean, Mary Curran, Andrew Russell, and William McGinty.

On Monday the houses were sold by public roup at Irvine, along with other lots of house property. The purchaser of the property burned was Mr John Douglas, slater, Saltcoats.
Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.
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