On 12 April 1892, there was a great celebration in Ardrossan to mark the opening of the Eglinton Dock extension to Ardrossan Harbour. The Ardrossan and Saltcoats Heralds of March and April that year reported extensively on the event. The reports can be read on http://www.threetowners.net/forum/viewt ... 08#p105708.Penny Tray wrote:Does this mean that the foundation stone which I've never been able to track down, maybe is or was inside a building, and maybe even on the floor of such a building as opposed to a wall?
One of the articles was a look back to the original opening of the harbour as given below.
On 31 July 1806, in presence of a crowd of interested spectators, the foundation stone of the harbour of Ardrossan, over the construction of which, powers had been obtained in 1805, was laid in a spot opposite the garden wall of the present Bank of Scotland buildings, the point which in those days connected the pier with the shore. Were the foundation stone to be opened, beside coins of the realm, a list of subscribers and the Acts of Parliament under which the work was to be executed, there would be found the following inscription. In the reign of the most gracious sovereign George III, the Right Honourable Hugh, Twelfth Earl of Eglinton, Lord Montgomery at Kilwinning, Baron of Ardrossan, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Ayr first suggested the foundation of a harbour and wet docks at this place to be connected with a canal to Paisley and Glasgow and afterwards under the patronage of and patriotic exertions of His Lordship, two Acts of Parliament have been past for carrying into execution these works so well calculated for the improvement and prosperity of the country on plans by Thomes Telford, esquire, engineer. William Blair esquire of Blair, Grand Master Mason of the Mother Lodge, Kilwinning laid the foundation stone of these works on 31 July 1806 and of the Æra of Masonry 5806. May Almighty God, the Grand Architect of the Universe, bless and prosper the undertaking and protect to the latest ages the name of Montgomerie.
The spellings of Montgomery and Montgomerie are as in the Herald article.
The foundation stone 'was laid in a spot opposite the garden wall of the present Bank of Scotland buildings'. In 1892, the Bank of Scotland was at the junction of Princes Street and Glasgow Street in the building shown below that until May 2011 was the Community Education Office.
The 'spot opposite the garden wall' is probably at the back of the building somewhere in the two photos below but there is no evidence of a foundation stone.
More images of the 'garden' of the Bank of Scotland building, the reported location of the foundation stone of Ardrossan Harbour, can be seen on http://www.ArdrossanPhotographs.net under Community Education Office in the left frame.
I have searched the 'garden' for the stone but cannot find it.
George