Rockvale - split from Fresh-Air Fortnight

[little plum]

P.T. I can remember that expression being thrown in my direction many a time as I rushed in and out of the house.
It also reminded me of a story my aunt told me, she was struck down with polio as a young girl and was shipped out to Rothesay. Each day the patients in their beds would be pushed outdoors to an open shed, it resembled a bike shed in the photo I was shown.
Now I was wondering where the Rockvale Child Welfare Home would be, I asked my M.I.L. who had worked in a home for Glasgow children many years ago but this was Parkend Childrens Home in Canal St. ?

[Penny Tray]

Little Plum,

Parkend Home, you'll be aware, was at the Saltcoats end of Canal Street; Rockvale, from previous discussions on Threetowners, was, I think, located on the site of the former Miners' Home/Maple Leaf Hotel and the present Seabank Care Home at the Stevenston end.

I think Rockvale also had premises on Montgomerie Crescent, Saltcoats.

[ardrossanrentboy]

Ahoy Little Plum, I've been checking the old maps and the original Rockvale is where the Care Home now sits on Canal Street next to the disused Railway embankment. On maps of 1900* it is Rockvale Home yet later is listed as a Miner's Welfare Home before it became the Maple Leaf Hotel and eventually the current Care Home of today.
Parkend was listed as just that between Canal Street and Parkend Road about 500 yards to the west of Rockvale. On a map of 1910 it says Parkend S.D. (don't know what S D is) and 1956 map shows it as Parkend Children's Home. Is it possible that at one time Rockvale became a Children's Home which was transferred to Parkend later?

[Penny Tray]

Rockvale Home clearly had a connection with THOMAS BOLTON GIFFEN, who lived at 'ROCKVALE', 65 St. Andrew's Drive, Pollokshields, Glasgow, and son of the Rev. James Giffen of Saltcoats. The former was noted for his philanthropy, taking a great deal of interest in the welfare of children, and one of the founders of the Cripple Children's League originally mentioned in this topic. He died in August 1938.

[ardrossanrentboy]

For the housebound, here's a solution, lookee here;

[down south]

Worth noting perhaps that as far back as the map of 1856, the house on Canal Street that was later the Rockvale Home, is marked as Rockvale House. So that will presumably be the origin of the name, and the house in Glasgow will have been named after the one in Saltcoats.

Susan

PS to Morag; not my treasure-trove at all in this case, the 1856 map is available to all here:

http://maps.nls.uk/view/74937986#zoom=4 ... &layers=BT

[morag]

Susan, you need to put your trove of information into a bank vault..really.

[Penny Tray]

Worth noting perhaps that as far back as the map of 1856, the house on Canal Street that was later the Rockvale Home, is marked as Rockvale House. So that will presumably be the origin of the name, and the house in Glasgow will have been named after the one in Saltcoats.

I also note from Pigot's AYRSHIRE DIRECTORY of 1837 that a house called Rock Vale (as opposed to Rockvale) was occupied by a Samuel Croker, Manager of the Stevenston Collieries.

[ardrossanrentboy]

Rockvale is quite unusual - trying to trace the source of its naming in Saltcoats I've found Rockvale in Hawick & Helensburgh and Colorado (USA). I've a vague memory of it in the North-East of Glasgow around Springburn way but haven't located it yet.
Can anyone identify the House's origins ?
and Rockvale Mills, Upper Craigs, Stirling adn some connection with Dumbarton & Vale of Leven ... still looking!
dirra ma doo! here's another;
Rockvale | Rockvale Wellpark Road Rothesay Isle Of Bute Argyll And Bute PA20 9JY
and the yanks have some;
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=rockv ... 2&ie=UTF-8
this page looks interesting, a possible link to the name Mayfield;
http://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/Rock_Vale
that last link is about Jersey & Guernsey ... here's a snippet;
==Rocher Brulé==
There is no mention of the property under any of its names in either of the two volumes of Joan Stevens' ''Old Jersey Houses'', but it is believed that the part which was known as Vale Cottage in 1871 is much older than the main house. The name Maison Brulée (the burnt house) might suggest that at some time the main house was damaged by fire, but the index to the 1849 Hugh Godfray map of Jersey, which shows all properties then standing with their owners, indicates that the house was close to a place known as Rocher Brulé (burning or burnt rock).

The transition from Rocher Brulé to Rock Vale for a house redeveloped adjacent to Vale Cottage is an understandable one.

[ardrossanrentboy]

Someone resident at Rockvale, Saltcoats was an Author of a piece of Writing in a Journal or Book about Seaweed ...

PREFxiCE. Vll

British Algology is making as rapid progress as any other
branch of natural science. Many of those persons who
spend a month or two in summer on the sea-coast, have
discovered that there is great beauty in sea-weeds, and have
found that there is great pleasure in preparing little col-
lections of these marine paintings, to gratify their inland
friends on their return, and to afford to themselves pleasant
reminiscences of happy hours spent in healthful recreation
on the sea-shore ; and often, we trust, in devout musings
on Him whose path is in the deep waters ; whose hand has
formed all the wonderful works they contain, and whose
voice may be heard in the gentlest whisperings of the waves,
or in the mighty noise of the great sea-billows.

" The gentleness of Heaven is on the Sea :
Listen ! the mighty Being is awake,
And doth with his eternal motion make
A sound like thunder— everlastingly."— Fb/^i2^'<?r^^,

Rockvale, Saltcoats,
May, 1849.
still trying to track down this Author as they were resident in Rockvale in 1849, lookee here;

This, which is regarded as a new species, was first found
by Major Martin in a quarry pool near Saltcoats. It was
got by D. L. in April 1849, in a slow-running stream
at the Turf Dyke coal-pit, Stevenston. It w^as lying at the
bottom, growing on w^eeds and stones, in inconsiderable
masses. The filaments were slender, and could not support
much of the mass when an attempt was made to lift it out
of the water. It bears a considerable likeness to I), nana,
though the green is lighter, and the filaments longer.
]\Ir. Hassall says that it is rare ; that he has only twice got
it, — once growing in a horse-trough near Cheshunt.
getting warmer :
Hab. On rocks in the sea. Trith of Forth, Dr. Greville ;
Torquay, Mrs. Griffiths ; Saltcoats, D. L.

3. SCHIZONEMA IMPLICATUM.

Found at Ardrossan by Major Martin and D. L.
Mrs. Griffiths has kindly sent us above a dozen named
species of this troublesome tribe.
I'm getting to know a helluva lot more about seaweed than I feel the need for, here's more;
BRITISH SEA-WEEDS. {ClilorosiKmieoi,

notice. Now that it has been detected, it may be seen
ill April and May at Saltcoats in great abundance on
flattish rocks, and also on the face of perpendicular rocks
near high-water mark. I first procured it at Saltcoats in a
rock-pool near the mouth of the harbour ; Major Martin
finds it of a very dark colour at Portincross.

2. Bangia? ceramicola, Xj/;/^^.

Hab. In rocky pools on small Alga3. Appin, Capt.
(.armichael. We have found this at Portincross, and in
Arran.

The fin«st specimens have been found at Saltcoats by
Miss M^Leish, on Rhodomela siibfusca. The filaments are
very fine and of a beautiful rose-colour. It appears in
August, and is very evanescent, for in a few days it loses
its fine colour, and soon disappears.
and warmer still;
Ardrossan,
Major Martin ; Saltcoats, Isabella Landsborough.
Does anybody know of Isabella, possibly a connection to the Landsborough Church ?

[ardrossanrentboy]

GOTCHA!

REV. D. LANDSBOROUGH, A.L.S.,

Member of the ■Wernerian Society of Edinburgh, and Author of
" Excursions to the Isle of Arran."
He appears to be the main resident of Rockvale House, Saltcoats in 1849 so possibly it was the Manse House for the Landsborough Church, when were the ' Disruptions ' ?
More info from my source which is a Google translation which explains the print errors ...
D Landsborough has a son called David and seems to have received seaweed samples from Jersey, so perhaps there is a connection to the origin of the Rockvale name.
Very good specimens have been found on
mud-covered rocks at Saltcoats, opposite the Free Church.
Here's more;
Hab. On perpendicular sides of deep marine pools. Fre-
quent in the south of England and west' of Ireland. Eare
in Scotland. Caught (floating) by Mrs. R. M. Stark at
Saltcoats. Found by Major Martin at Ardrossan, and
dredged by him in Arran.
This could be a new pursuit for those fed up with TV and looking for a new life - Seaweed Searching!
I take it that the Seawood Book is no longer available in Print Form but I'll post the link to the Googlised version.
This snippet tells of the method of purchase from Booksellers and from the Author at Saltcoats ....
daughters, and sold for charitable purposes. They have had the pleasure
already of giving, in this way, about 110/. The books may be got at
Messrs. Reeve and Beuham's, Henrietta-street, Covent-garden ; or at Mr.
David Bryce's, Buchanuan-street, Glasgow ; or they can be sent by post, pre-
paid, from Saltcoats. The price, including postage, is 15^. (this could be Bawbees)
Another Quite Interesting snippet from the book is the explanation of the origins of Wrack / Seaweed.
In Scotland, Sea- weeds go very generally under the
name of wrack, or in the south and west of Scotland wreck,
and not unfrequently vrcck ; and in this we have one of the
numberless instances of the effect which the trrcat inter-



INTRODUCTION. 3

course in ancient times betwixt France and Scotland had
on our Scottish language ; — for what is wrach or wreck or
vrech, but the French word varec, which signifies sea-weed.
Vraic is the word employed in the Channel Islands, in
Guernsey and Jersey, and is evidently of French extrac-
tion; and they who read Inglis on the Channel Islands
will find that vraic is not a thing to be spoken of con-
temptuously ! But more of this anon.

And yet again the Author shows of a connection to the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey thus ROCKVALE ..
the quest continues ..

[ardrossanrentboy]

The Rev Landsborough is mentioned in this page in 3Towners
but the address given is the Manse, Stevenston ... the quest continues

http://www.threetowners.com/saltcoats-1 ... ents-1837/

and the Australian connection is via his sons ...
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/893937

and Landsborough is described as a famous naturalist.

Well would you believe it ..... they called their place in Australia ... wait for it ... ROCKVALE

The Landsboroughs paid 25s. per head
for theirs, and with no experience and their
expensive flock started up the country and
formed a new station, which they called Rockvale,
and which was situated twenty miles further out
than what is now the fine town of Armidale. The
Landsboroughs were young men of the rightstamp
to have done well in the life they had adopted had
they been fortunate enough to get on to good
sheep country. Neither in New South Wales
nor Queensland, however, were they ever in pos-
session of pastures of the class their brother Wil-
liam discovered later in such almost boundless
quantity, and they bad consequently an uphill
game to play from the first. In those early days
sheep farming was not well understood in New
England. It waa not then generally recognised
that sheep to thrive on tho New England
pastures required a certain quantity of
salt, so, although since that time sheep
have thriven well on the Rockvale country, the
Landsborough's flocks were not very remunerative.