Hugh Woodburn Guthrie

Hugh Woodburn Guthrie was born in Cumnock in 1898 to John Guthrie and Elizabeth McTaggart  but by 1901 the family was in Glasgow.

His parents predeceased him and his effects went to his sister Mary, Mrs Thomas McGeoch.

On Cumnock Connections tree

Name:	Hugh Guthrie
Birth Place:	Old Cumnock, Ayrshire
Death Date:	29 Sep 1918
Death Place:	France and Flanders
Enlistment Place:	Glasgow
Rank:	Private
Regiment:	Highland Light Infantry
Battalion:	9th (Glasgow Highland) Battalion (Territorial)
Regimental Number:	40415
Type of Casualty:	Killed in action
Theatre of War:	Western European Theatre
Comments:	Formerly 2108, Scot. Bord.

Further information by courtesy of Bobby Guthrie February 2020.

By 1887 his father John Guthrie is living at Barrhill Road, as a coal miner. in 1891 the family is in Greenock where he works as an assurance agent. The family returns to Barrhill Road, working as a life assurance agent. It is here Hugh Woodburn Guthrie is born. In 1901 census the family are living in Kelvinside, Milton, Glasgow with John working as boot shoe traveller. He dies the following year at that address, a Draper traveller. His wife Elizabeth dies in 1906, Garscube road, Glasgow. 

Hugh Woodburn Guthrie is now orphaned aged 8 years old. In the 1911 census he and a sister are living at Govanhill, Glasgow with his older brother John and his wife. John is a baker (he was born at Townhead, Cumnock 1883) John is at Govanhill in the 1915 and 1920 Valuation rolls. Hugh's sister Mary (born Waterside Place, Cumnock) married Thomas McGeoch. The couple are living at Govanhill with brother Robert (born Barrhill, 1887) as a boarder. It was Mary that got Hugh's effects following his death at Flanders 1918. I wonder if he was the living with his sister when he signed up?

Henry Kinnear

Henry was  born in Lugar in 1886, the son of Henry Kinnear a baker and his wife Margaret Forrest.

In 1901 he was a grocer's assistant living with his parents at 91 and 92 Back Row Lugar but he is not with his parents in 1911 in Lugar or anywhere else  in Scotland in 1911. Presumably he has gone to South Africa.


Private
KINNEAR, H

Service Number 16033

Died 10/10/1918

Aged 32

4th Regt.
South African Infantry

Son of Mr. H. and Mrs. M. Kinnear, of 21, Victoria Place, Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

He is remembered on Lugar War Memorial although no Kinnears are still there post war.

Niven Withers

Niven Withers was born in 1891 in Kirkcolm, Wigtownshire. By the start of WW1 he was in Mossblown.

Neven Withers - RoyalScotsFusiliers 34958 [Niven Withers]

He was discharged from the army on health grounds in August 1917. His acute nephritis was attributed to his active service in France, exposure and stress. 

He married Sarah Campbell in 1918

He died in hospital in 1926 age 35 of diabetes mellitus. His usual address was 3 New Bridge St Cumnock.

On Cumnock Connections tree

Thomas Connell

Thomas Boyd Connell was the son of David Connell the printer in Cumnock and his wife Grace Bowman Brown. He was born on the 18th Feb 1892 in Cumnock.

on Cumnock Connections tree

He was in Strathcona, Alberta age 19 in 1911 census of Canada

Canadian military record here

He married Nellie Cliff in Medicine Hat in 1921 and by 1931 they had Helen,  David and George when they were home on a visit.

He died at Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada on 12 Oct 1938.

Findagrave

Thomas Connor

Born in Kilmarnock about 1887 the son of Bernard Connor and Mary Orr, he was in Ayrshire Yeomanry and then the Highland Light Infantry

They family lived in Mauchline by 1891

Thomas had been employed on a fish van but was a chauffeur at the Dumfries Arms Garage when in went to war.

He died on the 31st July 1917 in France.

Cumnock Chronicle 1917

Private

Regiment

Highland Light Infantry

Battalion

12th (Service) Battn

Regimental Number

43409

Type of Casualty

Killed in action

Theatre of War

Western European Theatre

Comments

Formerly 2535, Ayrshire Yeo.

Other Records

Thomas Connor - HighlandLightInfantry 43409

Capt. Robert E Angus

Captain Robert Edward Angus was born on the 27th May 1894 at Radcliffe in Northumberland.

"Best pilot in the squadron"

Cumnock Chronicle 29 March 1918

Died 20/11/1917

Aged 23

64th Sqdn.
Royal Flying Corps

and
Ayrshire Yeomanry

Son of James Angus and Elizabeth Angus, of Ochiltree, Ayrshire.

George Farrell

George Farrell was born at Changuebank Cottages in 1884. No records for his military service survived but he is mentioned in the 1919 Welcome Home list published in the Cumnock Chronicle along with brothers James and Westley.

His great granddaughter relates that he died in hospital in 1923 as a result of what we would now call post traumatic stress disorder. His widow received a widow's pension. They had  7 surviving children.

She also had this photo of George Farrell back row left.

On Cumnock Connections tree
Brother-in-law of Niven Withers.

May be on FMP

G

Farrell

1917

2730

Private

Royal Scots

19th General Hospital

Robert Bissett

Robert Bissett was born in Lugar in 1888 to Robert Bissett and Annie Aitken.

He was an Air Mechanic First Class in RAF. Reg No 23093.

His civilian occupation was  cycle mechanic.

He survived and lived to the age of 90.

James A Bissett

James Aitken Bissett was born in Lugar in 1887, son of Robert Bissett and Annie Aitken.

By WW1 the family was in Urbana Terrace in Cumnock. He died in  Glasgow in 1943.

Royal Engineers

Regimental Number: 93823

James on Cumnock Connections tree

His brother Robert also served and his sister Margaret was a nurse.

The Chronicles of Cumnock

We are thrilled that a new dramatic piece has been written based on the WW1 stories we have found in the Cumnock Chronicle.

Part of the Cumnock Tryst 2018, Sir James MacMillan has commissioned Martin Travers of the Citizens Theatre to dramatise the stories and pupils from Doon Academy in Dalmellington have been working with him, professional musicians and dancers to  create an original work, "The Chronicles of Cumnock" to be played against a backdrop of projected photographs of soldiers.

We have a had a sneak peak at the script and it is very moving and powerful and we are really looking forward to the performance on Friday 5th October 2018 at 2pm in Cumnock Academy. And it is free though you need to reserve a ticket. Don't miss it!

The Cumnock Tryst

Lord Ninian Crichton-Stuart

The son of the 3rd Marquis of Bute,  Lord Ninian was born on the 15th May 1883 at Dumfries House, Cumnock.

He resigned from the army in 1906 when he married, he had the rank of Lieutenant, he then joined the Reserve of Officers.  After his election as MP he was approached to become the commanding officer of the local territorials, the 6th Welsh, and was granted the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war along with the whole regiment. He fell at the Hohenzollern Redoubt at the Battle of Loos on 2nd October 1915.

He and his wife had four children.

He stood for parliament for Cardiff boroughs in 1910, losing on that occasion but was elected to the same seat in the General Election of 1911.

Cumnock Connections tree

He is not on Cumnock War Memorial. His name is inscribed along with 21 other MPs on the Parliamentary War Memorial known as the Recording Angel Memorial in Westminster Hall and a statue of him was erected in Cathays Park in Cardiff.

Updated 18 January 2020 with information kindly supplied by his granddaughter Marietta Crichton Stuart.

William Surgeoner

William Surgeoner was a baker, born in Ayr and aged 24 when he enlisted on 8th September 1914  in the Cameron Highlanders.

He worked as a baker in the store at Lugar.

He was posted missing at the Battle of Loos on 25 Sep 1915.

His service record survives. He was 5 ft 5 in tall and brown eyes and light brown hair.

His sister Annie McFedries of 137 George St, Ayr was his next of kin and received his medals.  She was 16 years older and brought him up after his mother died.  (Her husband, William McFedries, turns out to be a second cousin once removed of my husband!)

Cumnock Chronicle

He is on Lugar War Memorial.

Cumnock Connections Tree

Private
SURGEONER, WILLIAM

Service Number S/13494

Died 25/09/1915

7th Bn.
Cameron Highlanders

James W Chidwick

Lance Corporal James William Chidwick enlisted  in the "Buffs"the East Kent regiment in 1914 and was killed at Ypres on 16th July 1917 leaving a widow and eight children including one yet to be born.  James was born in Kent in 1881 and worked as a waggoner on a farm. He married Ayrshire born Agnes Watson in 1902 in Riccarton. Agnes's address in 1918 was Croucher Farm, Westwell near Ashford in Kent. In 1920 Agnes married Finlay Ralston in Glasgow and moved back to Ayrshire. When Agnes received his medals in 1922 she was living at 4 Grougar Row, Galston.

James on the Cumnock Connections tree

His Cumnock granddaughter Edna supplied these photos showing life in the trenches.

Edward McLelland

Edward or Ned was born in 1883 to James McQueen Mclelland and Elizabeth Vallance Brown.

He served in WW1 and was wounded in the legs. His grandson Billy Anderson still has his parish medal.

Name: Edward McLELLAND
Gender: Male
Rank: Pte
Birth Date: 1882
Residence Place: Old Cumnock, Arys
Military Service Region: Scotland, Scotland
Discharge Date: 29 Sep 1919
Service Number: 122170
Regiment: M. G. C.
Title: Pension Record Cards
Description: Pension Record Ledger
Reference Number: 11/ME/1078, 1/MM/14478

In 1901 census he was  a seventeen year old slater. He married Helen Samson Findlay in 1905.

He served with Cumnock Fire Brigade. He died in Cumnock in 1969 aged 85.

Cumnock Connections tree

William Sloan

Of Roughside Farm

New Cumnock

Name:	William Sloan
Birth Place:	Cumnock
Residence:	New Cumnock
Death Date:	15 Nov 1915
Death Location:	Gallipoli
Enlistment Location:	Ayr
Rank:	Private
Regiment:	Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line (incl. Yeomanry and Imperial Camel Corps)
Battalion:	Ayrshire (Earl of Carricks Own) (Hussars) Yeomanry
Number:	1581
Type of Casualty:	Died
Theatre of War:	Balkan Theatre

CWGC

Cumnock Connections tree