On the High Street .............

In the Dunfermline Journal and Advertiser for West Fife 100 years ago this weekend (to be specific the 28 August 1915 issue) 


This week I thought I would look at some of the many adverts for shops and services available in Dunfermline exactly 100 years ago:

Fancy a cup of tea?

Special value in Teas
Good household blend 2/- per lb
Indian and Ceylon blend 2/4 per lb
Darjeeling blend 2/8 per lb
Pure China tea 3/- per lb
Visit our new and up-to-date premises for high-class goods.
John McLelland & Co, Maygate, Telephone no 87

Visiting someone?  Why not take them a nice bouquet?

Beveridge's

23 Bridge Street & 12 Guildhall Street
For
Finest fruits, flowers & confections
Orders by 'phone punctually attended to
'Phone 162

Have toothache?

Kimmet & MacLean Ltd
Dental rooms
New address - 92 High Street, Dunfermline
Branches - Cowdenbeath, Kinross, Lochgelly, Inverkeithing, Limekilns
Painless Extractions - 1/-

Need a piano to practice on?

Pianos, organs etc
Large stock of splendid, second-hand, all guaranteed 10 years
Note address - Whyte & Co, pianoforte saloon, Dunfermline and Inverkeithing


Tune in next week to see what happened in Dunfermline next week 100 years ago ..........

Blog written by Jacqueline Hunter of Ancestral Research by Jacqueline, Dunfermline, Scotland. Please email me at jacquelinehunter895@gmail.com if I can help you with your family history research.

Death caused by shell shock?

In the Dunfermline Journal and Advertiser for West Fife 100 years ago this weekend

(Unfortunately the Saturday August 14 and 21 1915 issues have not survived so I will stick to the Saturday August 7 1915 issue for 1 more week):

Death of a Kingseat Scots Guardsman

A verdict of suicide while of unsound mind was returned at a St Pancras, London inquest on Saturday regarding the death of Alexander Sharpe 37 a private in the 3rd (reserve) battalion of the Scots Guards whose home was stated to be at Kingseat, Dunfermline and who was found dying in an express train from Edinburgh.

Mary Rose Sharpe the widow stated that her husband had a nervous breakdown while serving at the front and returned to England from France early in the month.  He had been on furlough at home until Monday when he left for London travelling first to Edinburgh.  He was not in his right mind since he returned home and was always holding his hand.  He was a broken-down man and paid no attention to his family although he was an affectionate father and husband.

The coroner read the following letter from the deceased which was found in his pocket - I beg to inform you that I have been done by the colliery doctor.  I am taken by the hand by the red cross which are getting me examined by the profession.  Everyone who is fooled in life by expert fools.

In reply to the coroner the witness added that her husband ought to have left home on Thursday the 22nd inst but was too ill to travel.

Detective Sergeant Bateman of the Great Northern Railway Company's Police stated that on the arrival of the 11.10pm train at Kings Cross from Edinburgh on Monday his attention was directed to a third-class carriage where he saw the deceased lying on his left side in the corridor.  There were wounds in his throat but the bleeding had stopped.  Seeing that he was alive the winess roused him and asked him what he had done it for to which the deceased replied - I have been drove to it by the military authorities.  When asked whar he had inflicted the injury with he answered a razor.  A razor was subsequently found in his pocket.  The deceased was removed to the Royal Free Hospitral.

Dr Austin Williams of the hospital stated that the deceased expired a couple of hours after his admission.  The post-mortem examination showed that there were 6 wounds in the left side of the neck and 4 on the right and the external jugular vein was severed.  Death was due to shock and exhaustion consequent on self-inflicted injuries.

[I'm not going to comment too much on this as it is self-explanatory and extremely tragic.  However I would suggest the cause of death was obviously actually whatever he had experienced at the front line and I am surprised that the coroner didn't call any of his military superiors to find out what he had experienced that led to his breakdown].

Tune in next week to see what happened in Dunfermline next week 100 years ago ..........

Blog written by Jacqueline Hunter of Ancestral Research by Jacqueline, Dunfermline, Scotland. Please email me at jacquelinehunter895@gmail.com if I can help you with your family history research.

2 deaths, rainfall and unusual animals .......

In the Dunfermline Journal and Advertiser for West Fife 100 years ago this weekend

 

(Unfortunately the Saturday August 14 and 21 1915 issues have not survived so I will stick to the Saturday August 7 1915 issue for 2 more weeks):

Sudden death after a holiday

Mrs Marshall, wife of Mr Fred Marshall, New Row died suddenly after spending a holiday in Callendar.  When nearing her home she collapsed in the street and died shortly afterwards.  Death was due to heart failure.  She was 74 years of age.

Rainfall

The rainfall for July was above an average.  Rain fell on twenty-nine days and the heaviest fall was on the 7th when 0.75 inches was registered.  The total rainfall for the month was 4.37 inches as compared to 4.20 inches in July last year.

[n the central belt of Scotland, where I live, we have certainly felt robbed of our Summer this year as we have had very few warm days and a lot of rain.  This is why the above article got my attention!  In July 2015 Scotland's rainfall has been 128mm which converts to 5.04 inches.  Therefore this proves decisivly (!) that Scotland is getting wetter].

Man killed at Rosyth

John Wilson, bearer, employed by the Motherwell Bridge Building Company Ltd was killed instantaneously at Rosyth Dockyard on Tuesday.  He tripped and fell off a girder and in his descent of 30 feet he struck another girder and fractured his skull.  He was about 40 years of age and is supposed to belong to Edinburgh.  He only started work with the company on Tuesday.

Bird and animal curiosities in the Glen

People of an observant nature may have noticed that all ? life in Pittencrieff Glen has not followed the laws of natural history.  A cinnamon robin flits about from shrub to shrub evidently proud that his back is lighter than that of its neighbours even though its breast is of the same cherry ?.  An albino sparrow is equally proud of its anaemic plumage and finds delight in displaying its feathered pallor in front of those who sip tea in the team-rooms.  These are not the the only freaks that nature has endowed on the Glen.  A cat belonging to the policies has defied convention in regard to its coat.  It is neither blotched not striped nor plain, its skin is composed of white and black hairs equally mixed.

[Pittencrieff Park or the Glen as it is also known was gifted by Andrew Carnegie to the people of Dunfermline in 1902.  It is a fabulous, huge park and still has plenty of birds and grey squirrels to be spotted within its grounds.  The Glen also has peacocks - Clive, Louise and Henrietta.  The Glen has had some recent additions which is why this article got my attention - a peahen and some baby peacocks:

]

Tune in next week to see what happened in Dunfermline next week 100 years ago ..........

Blog written by Jacqueline Hunter of Ancestral Research by Jacqueline, Dunfermline, Scotland. Please email me at jacquelinehunter895@gmail.com if I can help you with your family history research.

Appearances at the City Police Court

In the Dunfermline Journal and Advertiser for West Fife 100 years ago this weekend (to be specific the Saturday August 7 1915 issue):

City Police Court

[The City Police Court was based in the Guildhall building on Dunfermline's High Street where Wetherspoons is now]

Monday

(Before Baillie Norval)

[Norval Place in Rosyth is named after Baillie Norval.  Baillie/Police Judge James Norval was on the committee for naming streets in Rosyth and later became Provost of Dunfermline]

Of the 15 persons who were in the hands of the City Police at the weekend only 4 appeared.

Drunks

Agnes Brown outdoor worker of no fixed address admitted having been found helplessly drunk in Bruce Street on Saturday.  She said she had a son a private and had got very bad news of him. She was fined 2s 5d with the option of 5 days imprisonment.

Alexander Dunbar a labourer who had been found in like condition in Queen Anne Street on Saturday evening was similarly punished, the magistrate remarking that at a time like the present young fellows should not take drink until helpless.

 Peace breakers

Rodger Docherty and John Burnett labourers admitted having made a disturbance in Dunfermline Model Lodging House on Saturday night.  They said they had no recollection of the occurrence.  They were each fined 15s with the option of 7 days imprisonment.

[For those who are know Dunfermline, the building which was Dunfermline Model Lodging House still stands - it's the building on the corner of Chapel Street, Carnegie Drive and Bruce Street which has a hairdresser, take-away and tattoo parlour on the ground floor.  It was built in 1900 as a model lodging house, taken over by the YMCA who ran it as a hostel for servicemen until it was converted into shops in 1958]

Tuesday

(Before Baillie Norval)

Kirkgate Drunk

Annie Smith vagrant was fined 15s with the option of going to prison for 10 days for being drunk on 2nd inst in Kirkgate.

Neighbours Quarrel - Conflicting Evidence

Jane Cowan or Grant wife of John Grant labourer, 4 Orchardhead Hut, Rosyth and Eliza Fernie or Hannah, 34 Mortimer Street, Dundee denied a charge of having assaulted Mrs Mary Baxter of French wife of Albert French No 3 Orchardhead Hut by striking her with their fists and causing a disturbance.  Accused was defended by Mr Peter McLeod  Evidence was led to the effect that the women who were neighbours quarrelled concerning the ownership of several articles. Mrs Grant gripped Mrs French and they had to be separated.  Mrs Hannah was a stranger on holiday.  Baillie Norval said it was evidently a squabble between neighbours regarding a clock and a fender.  In view of the conflicting nature of the evidence he found the charge not proven.

James McGuire admitted being drunk on 4th inst in Bruce Street and was admonished.


Tune in next week to see what happened in Dunfermline next week 100 years ago ..........

Blog written by Jacqueline Hunter of Ancestral Research by Jacqueline, Dunfermline, Scotland. Please email me at jacquelinehunter895@gmail.com if I can help you with your family history research.