Saltcoats - On This Day In History

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GLASGOW HERALD
8 DECEMBER 1882

NEW HOME FOR DESTITUTE CHILDREN

We understand that the Glasgow Evangelist Association has purchased Rockvale House, situated at the end of Canal Street, Saltcoats, for £500.

The premises are to be converted into a home for destitute children in connection with, and similar to, the one at Canal Bank House, maintained now for a good many years by the association.

When alterations are completed Rockvale House is expected to afford accommodation for 40 boys and girls. This, with the 40 at present in Canal Bank, will make a total of 80 destitute boys and girls carefully tended and brought up through the benevolent agency of the association.

Both premises are well adapted for the purpose in view, are in close proximity, and will be under the superintendence of Mr. J. W. Fulton, who has so efficiently carried out the work of the association since its commencement in the locality.

[George Ardrossan]

8 DECEMBER

GREATER SALTCOATS - BOUNDARIES EXTENSION GRANTED
Sheriff Principal Arthur P Duffes, King’s Counsel, after inquiry held in Kilmarnock Sheriff Court into a petition by the Provost, Magistrates and Councillors of the Burgh of Saltcoats craving for an extension of the existing burgh boundaries, has repelled certain objections thereto by the Town Council of Ardrossan and has approved and confirmed the extension craved. Mr John McNay, solicitor and Joint Town Clerk, Saltcoats, appeared on behalf of the petitioners and explained that the extension on the north included 426 acres already partially developed by housing and at present being further developed by housing for which the burgh had already made provision for sewage, cleansing, scavenging, lighting and other services. On the east the extension included 105 acres of land strand and foreshore and on the south 174 acres of foreshore, making the total area of the extended burgh 1169 acres, against 464 acres at present. The whole extension has been approved by the County Council of Ayr. The Town Council had already erected 558 houses within the existing burgh and was proceeding with further schemes to relieve overcrowding and meet a large and growing demand for houses apart from overcrowding.
The Scotsman, 8 December 1937

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GLASGOW HERALD
9 DECEMBER 1918

BIRTH

SMITH: At Corsankell Farm, Saltcoats, on the 6th instant, to Mr. and Mrs. John Smith; a son.

DEATH

WOODSIDE: Suddenly at Germiston, Transvaal, on the 19th of November, Louisa Annabelle Robertson Woodside, youngest daughter of Peter and Mary Woodisde, late of Kilwinning and Saltcoats.

[John Donnelly]

GLASGOW HERALD
9 DECEMBER 1918

BIRTH

SMITH: At Corsankell Farm, Saltcoats, on the 6th instant, to Mr. and Mrs. John Smith; a son.

That would be Bob, who I remember as the owner when I was a boy. He was a friend of my father.
Gawd, that makes me feel old, reading about somebody I knew in 'On this day in HISTORY.'

A historical JD.

[Penny Tray]

WIKIPEDIA SHIPWRECKS
10 DECEMBER 1809

THE CHRISTIAN AND MARGARET

The vessel CHRISTIAN AND MARGARET, on a voyage between Liverpool and Leith, was lost at Saltcoats.

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GLASGOW HERALD
10 OCTOBER 1929

SALTCOATS TRAGEDY

A tragedy occurred in Gladstone Road, Saltcoats, yesterday, which resulted in the death a few hours later in Kilmarnock Infirmary of Mrs. Fanny Spence or White, wife of JOHN WHITE, (50), a colliery underground manager.

The couple had no family and lived together in a cottage.

The discovery was made when Mr. White called to a neighbour in the next cottage to see if her husband was in. On being told that he was not, White asked if she would get a doctor. As he seemed very distressed, the lady went into the house, and saw Mrs. White lying with wounds on her head and a hatchet close by.

Two doctors were called, and Mrs. White was taken to Kilmarnock Infirmary, where she died last night.

John White, who has been taken into custody in connection with the case, is a native of Stevenston, and for a time was employed at Auchenharvie Colliery. About 20 years ago he left the district. He was latterly employed as an underground manager at Mossblown Colliery. He retired six months ago, and went to reside in Saltcoats, having previously purchased the cottage.

GLASGOW HERALD
11 OCTOBER 1929

SALTCOATS TRAGEDY

JOHN WHITE, (60), colliery underground manager, Gladstone Road, Saltcoats, who has been arrested in connection with the tragic death of his wife, appeared before Sheriff Martin Laing at Kilmarnock yesterday.

The proceedings were conducted privately in the Sheriff’s room.

White was committed to prison pending further inquiries.

GLASGOW HERALD
10 DECEMBER 1929

HIGH COURT AT AYR
INSANITY PLEA SUSTAINED IN MURDER CHARGE

Lord Anderson, at a sitting of the High Court of Justiciary at Ayr yesterday, sustained a plea in bar of trial in a charge of murder brought against JOHN WHITE, aged 60, an underground colliery manager.

The charge was that on October 9, in a cottage at 44 Gladstone Road, Saltcoats, where the couple, who had no family, resided, he assaulted FANNY SPENCE or WHITE, his wife, by striking her on the head with a hatchet and fracturing her skull, whereby she was so seriously injured that she died on the same day in Kilmarnock Infirmary.

Lord Anderson said he was quite satisfied that the man was unable to plead. Accused, he said, would be detained in the usual way during His Majesty’s Pleasure.

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GLASGOW HERALD
11 DECEMBER 1940

AYRSHIRE TEACHING APPOINTMENT

Ayrshire Education Committee on Tuesday appointed Mr. RALPH IRVING CLARK, headmaster of Doune Public School, Girvan, since 1921, to headmastership of Kyleshill Public School, Saltcoats, a 14 teacher school.

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GLASGOW HERALD
11 DECEMBER 1889

MUNICIPAL MEETING - SALTCOATS

Provost McIsaac in the chair.

Bailie Miller moved that the Commissioners respectfully decline to accept the offer of the Road Trustees to pay part of the cost of paving Countess Street with square stones, and that the Road Trustees be requested to re-causeway and repair the street as they themselves think proper, but that the work be done as early as possible.

Mr. Guthrie moved an amendment that the re-causeway be done with square stones. Mr. Watt seconded.

The motion was carried by a majority.

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GLASGOW HERALD
11 DECEMBER 1889

SWINDLING

At a pleading diet in Ayr Sheriff and Jury Court yesterday – before Sheriff Orr Paterson – a woman of youthful appearance named MARGARET RINTOUL or WARD pleaded guilty to obtaining money by false pretences.

The charge was that, between 2nd September and 24th October, accused had obtained various sums of money, amounting in all to £18, from Margaret Papple, Hamilton Street, Saltcoats, by falsely representing that her (prisoner’s) uncle, John Rintoul, sheep farmer, Ardno, Lochgoilhead, had left her an estate named Ardno and £7000 in the Greenock Harbour Trust, and that the parish minister of Lochgoilhead, whose name was Armstrong, had the tin box containing the will and other papers, and that he had received them on the day of her uncle’s funeral.

She further stated that Mr. Armstrong had the interest on the £7000 for 18 months, and delivered to Papple a copy of the will (produced), and had sent or caused to be sent from Greenock a telegram to Papple purporting to be from Mrs. Armstrong, the minister’s wife, authorising the said Mrs. Papple to give the accused any money she required, and that she (Mrs. Armstrong) would see it paid.

She had also, on 21 October, 1889, sent a telegram to Margaret Papple from Strachur, requesting her to send the accused £2, and had by these statements induced the said Margaret Papple to give her various sums, amounting in all to £18.

Accused had been previously convicted of similar offences at Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Dundee, and Peterhead.

Mr. W. S. Morton, who appeared for accused, said that prisoner stated that she had been the tool of a man who had absconded.

The Sheriff said that accused seemed to have, for the last 10 years, persisted in a course of fraud. One of her sentences had been eight months’ imprisonment, and he thought he was dealing leniently with her when he repeated that sentence.

Ward was accordingly sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment.

[Hughie]

The Scotsman
12 December 1902

Fatal Accident to Saltcoats Man

News reached Saltcoats yesterday of the death of Robert M'Lachlan, a tailor, under sad circumstances. He was in Preston, Lancashire, looking for employment. At night he went into a limekiln in Aqueduct Street for shelter, and it is supposed that when going about in the dark he fell into a kiln, a distance of twenty eight feet from the top. A policeman who heard moans obtained assistance, and the unfortunate man was discovered lying across a bar in the kiln in an unconscious state. He was removed to Preston Royal Infirmary, where he died. He was aged thirty-six, and a son of Mr R. M'Lachlan, butcher, Saltcoats.

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GLASGOW HERALD
12 DECEMBER 1887

FOOTBALL
SALTCOATS VICTORIA v. CALEDONIAN (GLASGOW)
At Saltcoats

Caledonian, 5; Victoria, 1.

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GLASGOW HERALD
12 DECEMBER 1888

MUNICIPAL MEETING – SALTCOATS

At the monthly meeting of Commissioners on Monday night – Provost McIsaac presiding – it was agreed to accept the offer of James Cuthbertson for cleansing the burgh.

Mr. Alpine moved, and Mr. T. Miller seconded, a motion that Countess Street be paved from the shop-ends to the Town Hall at an estimated cost of £111, on condition that a grant of £50 be got from the Roads Committee of Saltcoats, and that the portion of the street north of the Town Hall be re-causewayed by the Road Trustees and raised on the east side to the gradient on the east side.

The motion was agreed to.

A letter was read from Messrs. Donovan and Williamson complaining of the Salvation Army occupying the street in their locality.

The matter was referred to the inspector of police.