January Newsletter

The January Newsletter is now posted and can be found here.january newsletter 2024

Covering a variety of topics it also includes a report by David Devereux, describing the finding of local estate maps in the Yale University’s Center for British Art in the US.

Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership

The Galloway Glens Landscape Partnership Scheme covered the area from the hills at Carsphairn down to the Solway at Kirkcudbright. https://gallowayglens.org/

The project is now complete and Fiona Armstrong discusses its success with McNabb Laurie. https://www.itv.com/watch/news/catch-up-on-border-life/0cmymh2

The Scheme was a good friend to The Society and several projects were organised in the local area including test pits on the Moat Brae, a dig in the Barr Hill wood amongst some of the activities organised by its Can You Dig it team. The most recent one being the Building Biographies which was the topic of our first meeting this session and which can be found on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF27oTYi1Ag&t=135s

History from snaps: Church Ground trees

 

A recent posting by Sam Kelly included a newspaper cutting about lopping of the trees in St Mary St Gardens. Using this as another example of history from a snapshot I have gathered together some other photos showing the trees in the area over the years. See the end of this article. Alan James brought our attention to the production of a leaflet in 2018 revised in 2020 by Chris Ingram  with details of the trees. Apparently a minister in the last century encouraged parishioners to donate trees in memory of loved ones and in consequence a good many quite valuable specimens are growing here. stewartryu3a.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Soaperie-Gardens-Leaflet.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3lEQcT2841xAqfd48q_VpU4Irnq2XIKznSHV5KW0m-sAF7agv5-1uYSJw

As for the debate about which name the gardens should be called. My understanding has always been that The Soaperie Gardens were the triangle behind the Selkirk Cross the remaining belonging to the Church and called The Church Grounds.

Continue reading…

February meeting

 

 

Alison Burgess, Team Leader with the Heritage Service, will be the speaker at Kirkcudbright History Society’s next meeting in the Parish Church Hall on the 14th February. She will be looking at the various types of materials held by the Service and how these can be useful for anyone researching local history. This meeting will be streamed so available in the hall and online. Visitors are welcome £3. For BACS details please contact secretary@kirkcudbrighthistorysociety.org.uk

The Covenanters of the Glenkens

The parishes of the Glenkens in northern Kirkcudbrightshire were at the heart of support for the Covenanting movement in seventeenth century Scotland and suffered greatly in the latter half of that century when the king and the political leadership of the country sought to suppress that movement and impose the Episcopalian system of church government on the people.  In  The Covenanters of the Glenkens  David Bartholomew explores the historical context of those days and introduces us to some of the inspiring, though often tragic, stories from those times, offering us a window into the world of the people of that day.

The book has been an early retirement project for David,  after nearly 28 years as parish minister of the Glenkens.  The book gathers up the stories shared in the local church’s annual conventicles over the past twenty years. The 186-page book can be purchased at Barry Smarts, Castle Douglas; The Catstrand, New Galloway or the Community Shop, Dalry, price £10, or ordered direct from the author at £8 plus £2.50 postage and packing, by emailing  dsbart92@gmail.com or  phoning 07762 083703, or by post with an enclosed cheque, sent to him at Craigend Cottage, Broughton, Biggar ML12 6HH.

Continue reading…

Woodlands in Scotland

The NLS has just released a New Woodland in Scotland map viewer. Along with Zulu Ecosystems they have extracted a digital layer showing woodland from the mid- 19th century Ordnance Survey maps. This viewer allows you to explore woodland in Scotland between the 1840s and 1880s. The depiction of woodland on the Ordnance Survey Six-Inch to the mile, 1st edition maps (1843-1882), is one of the most comprehensive records of ancient woodland in Scotland.

https://maps.nls.uk/projects/woodland/#zoom=7.0&lat=57.00000&lon=-3.50000&layers=1&b=8

Galloway Crab Apple Action

Galloway has a well-kept secret: we have special native crab apple trees – hardy, long lived and much-loved scrubby pasture trees.

Experts increasingly admire the population of our native crab apple trees. But why are they here, and why does this matter?

Book your free ticket to join in person in New Galloway or online! January 18 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

https://fienta.com/galloway-crab-apple-action The event is delivered by Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands, a new initiative seeking to support trees, habitats and the people that depend upon them in Dumfries & Galloway

Photo courtesy P Norman.

The Distribution of Gaelic Place Names in Southern Scotland”.

At our January meeting Colin MacKenzie’s talk investigated the distribution of Gaelic place names covering the Rhins of Galloway to Berwickshire. So far in Galloway alone he has identified 3,452 names. His talk demonstrated the use of a variety of mapping techniques by showing results and the conclusions which can be arrived at when concentrating on specific areas for example on Parishes.  A first for us as our speaker was on Zoom from Orkney. We then watched in the hall, on Zoom and beamed it to the USA and Canada. The speaker’s Granny watched it in Kirkcudbright and his parents in Lincoln.

 

This is the link to YouTube for those who missed it and those who want to rewatch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kocKD1oum9w&t=2s