3 Davidson brothers

Montgomery Davidson of 78 Skares Row lost three sons. This information came from an in Memoriam Announcement in the Cumnock Chronicle in 1918 by the men's sister Jessie, wife of Matthew Shirkie.

Cumnock Connections tree

The boys were all born in Dailly.

First, oldest son David Davidson, a Lance Corporal in the Royal Scots Fusiliers was killed in the Battle of Loos on 26 Sep 1915. David was married to Martha Keirs in 1901.

Thomas Davidson was a private with the RFA and was killed at Gallipoli on the 30th December 1915. Thomas had married Margaret Reid in 1912.

The youngest son Robert Davidson also a private with the RFA died in France on 27 Sep 1918.
Robert married Agnes McDicken in 1917.


This also from the Cumnock Chronicle of 11 October 1918

Skares

THE THIRD OF SEVEN SOLDIER BROTHERS TO FALL
The news that Pte Robert Davidson, son of Mr. Montgomerie Davidson, had fallen in action created profound sorrow in our little community. The sad news came from Sergt. W Truesdale. "Shaw", as Pte Davidson  was familiarly called, had been only a fortnight in France when he fell. Mr Davidson has already lost two sons in the war; three others have been wounded and a seventh discharged for health reasons. Pte Davidson was a well respected young man of about 22 years of age. He leaves a widow and young child and to them, as to his other relatives, sincere sympathy is extended,

Word has been received that Pte M Shirkie is a prisoner of war.

Corporal Tom McGinn D.C.M., R.A.M.C. is on leave from France - looking well.

and from the Cumnock Chronicle a few weeks later.

Their mother Janet McMurray had passed away in 1901 so was spared the grief of losing three sons.


Here's the family in 1901 census

Bargany Cottages, Dailly

Montgomery Davidson             46 coal miner b Kirkoswald

Janet Davidson             42

David B Davidson             23

Elizabeth J Davidson             16

John Davidson             15

Jessie Davidson             13 (who married Matthew Shirkie in 1906 - could he be the prisoner of war above?)

Thomas Davidson             11

Montgomery Davidson             9

James Davidson             8

Andrew Davidson             6

William Davidson             4

Robert Davidson             3

Martha Keier             24 (the future wife of David)

Was Tom recommended for the Victoria Cross? He wasn't awarded it.

Daily Record Saturday 4 Sep 1915

They had another scare with son James. He served with the 10th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He had been missing but was in a German prison camp. See also the comment below.

Update: July 2020

photos found by Lorna Conaghan

Update 31 Dec 2020

Cumnock Chronicle 1987

Kirkpatrick Family

Some Cumnock families had the heartbreak of losing more than one son.

The family of James Kirkpatrick and Elizabeth Samson Osborne of Sykeside near Cumnock, Ayrshire lost both their  sons.

In 1901 the family was at Hillhead, Lugar

James Kirkpatrick 37 railway surfaceman b Dryfesdale, Dumfriesshire

Elizabeth Kirkpatrick 35

Agnes Kirkpatrick 12

Mary Kirkpatrick 11

Jessie Kirkpatrick 7

William Kirkpatrick 5

John Kirkpatrick  3

Marion Kirkpatrick 1

Andrew Kirkpatrick  30 brother

Son John Kirkpatrick who was with the Northumberland Fusiliers died of wounds in France on 15 Oct 1916.

Cumnock Chronicle 27 October 1916 

Add caption

John is buried in Puchevillers British Cemetery which was located next to a field hospital and many of the burials there are dated from 1916-17. 

photo by Rhona Gray 2018

Son William Kirkpatrick who was with the Seaforth Highlanders was killed in action on the Somme on 25 March 1918.   William did get home on leave in November 1916 (Cumnock Chronicle report)

added 25 Mar 2018, found in Cumnock Chronicle 

William has no known grave and is listed on a panel at Pozières Memorial. The panels here are ordered by Regiment and William is named in the Seaforth Highlanders section (third down from top right)  This Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

photo by Rhona Gray, 2108

Pozieres, Rhona Gray 2018

The sons-in-law happily fared better.
Agnes Kirkpatrick married Alexander Caughie who was a driver in 280 Company and served in France. He survived the war and his address on discharge was 33 Greenside, Maybole.

Jessie Kirkpatrick married John Priest of Ayr in 1915. He enlisted in Ayr on 29 sep 1914. He was a ploughman. He served as a saddler in the RHA in France. He had a spell in convalescent hospital in 1916.
His address on discharge in July 1919 was Sykeside, Cumnock.

Cumnock Connections tree

James Young, RN

The only sailor on Cumnock War Memorial is Petty Officer James Young, RN. This is hardly surprising as Cumnock has no naval tradition. His name is fourth from the top since the men are ordered first by rank, then alphabetically.

I had some bother finding him in records since he wasn't from Cumnock originally and James Young is a common name, but a piece in the Cumnock Chronicle set me on the right track. First I found an announcement giving his date of death 30 June 1918 at Pembroke Dock in Wales and that he was the husband of Mary D McLaren. Then there was quite a lengthy obituary.

He had been 24 years in the Navy. He had survived four years of war but was struck down with an illness lasting two weeks. His wife and two children had been sent for and were with him.

"Although a native of Glasgow, James Young has been for many years regarded as a Cumnockian. He was the son of the late Mr. John Young, engine driver who died here suddenly about 17 years ago on a visit to another son, Mr. John Young of Tower Street. Since that time James looked upon his brother John's home as his own and thus it was that he spent practically all his leave in Cumnock, and that when he married he took up house in the Waterside."

I looked for his marriage certificate. He had only married widow Mary Ann Henderson (maiden surname McLaren) in the January of 1918. She was residing at 12 Waterside Place and his address was H.M.S. Porcupine, occupation Chief Petty Officer, R.N.  He was "40" and she was "32". Actually he was 43 - his birthdate on naval record was 20 Oct 1875 and she was born about 1882 in Dundee so she was 36!

Armed with this information, I can now find him on the Commonwealth Graves Commission. He is down as Chief Stoker and is buried in Pembroke Dock (Llanion) Cemetery.
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/670407/YOUNG,%20J


Cumnock Connections tree

Welcome Home Dance

In the Cumnock Chronicle dated 27 September 1918
(accessed on microfilm at Burns Monument Centre, Kilmarnock)

SKARES

Remember the Welcome Home Dance in Garallan School this evening.
Private William Alexander MM, RSF is home on leave. He has been on service since war began and has been wounded five times.
Private Robert Wallace RSF is also home from France and
Private William Corbett HLI is on draft leave.

From an earlier Chronicle
On the 5th Jan 1917 Pte William Alexander, RSF, of Skares was awarded the Military Medal and he was presented with a gold watch along with Pte Alexander Hodge on 19 Jan 1917.

Pte Wm Alexander was the son of James Alexander 58 Skares and his sister was Mrs Rankin of Townhead St  (Cumnock Chronicle 5 jan 1917)

From Army Pension Records (accessed from the ancestry website)
Robert Wallace S/15408 Cameron Highlanders formerly RSF no12224
He was 20 and 152 days when he enlisted on 18 Nov 1914, was a miner, 5 ft 3 1/2 in had tattoos of horseshoe and good luck on right forearm and a heart and 2 crosses on the back
Address: 52 Skares Row, Cumnock, father Hugh Wallace, wife Christine Smillie, spinster, married at Tarbolton 22 January 1917
He served in France
He was discharged 11 Sep 1919 at Hamilton
Robert Wallace on Cumnock Connections tree

From Army Service Records  (accessed from the ancestry website)
William Corbett 63516 HLI, 15th Battalion,  of Crichton Row, Skares, Old Cumnock
occupation: waggon lifting machine man
age 21 28 May 1916 (born ab 1895 )
next of kin mother Mary
He was 5 ft 8 in with brown hair and eyes

In 1901 census the family was at Crichton Row

John Corbett             49

Mary Corbett             36

John Corbett             10

William Corbett             6

Janet Corbett             3

Robert Corbett             1

Military Medal (M.M.)

(Level 3 Gallantry Award) (from http://www.greatwar.co.uk/medals/ )
Instituted on 25^th March 1916 (and backdated to 1914).
The Military Medal was awarded to other ranks of the British Army and Commonwealth Forces. It was an award for gallantry and devotion to duty when under fire in battle on land.
On the reverse of the medal is inscribed “For Bravery in the Field”. Recipients of the medal are entitled to use the letters M.M. after their name.
The Military Medal is the British Army equivalent of the Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.), the Distinguished Flying Medal (D.F.M.) and the Air Force Medal (A.F.M.).

2 neighbours from Skares Row

Neighbours  James Bruce Johnstone and Michael Shirkie of 101 and 113 Skares Row respectively enlisted together at Glasgow on 14 September 1914 within 2 weeks of war breaking out. (I know this because their service records survived and are on the ancestry website and elsewhere. Not all service records survived.) Both were miners, and single. They enlisted in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders,  and both set sail for France on 8 July 1915. Neither came home.
 
James Bruce Johnstone, a miner, was born in Patna in 1891. He was the son of Charles J Johnstone and his wife Mary McDerment. He had blue eyes and reddish hair and was 5ft 8 and a half inches tall. He was a Sergeant in the 7th Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. He was killed in action in France/Flanders on the 27th February 1916.  He was 25. His father received his medals on the 6th July 1921.

Thanks to his great nephew, also James Bruce Johnstone, who provided the photograph, medal and memorial silk.

Sgt Jimmy B Johnstone

Victory Medal

memorial silk, printed in Cumnock

James B Johnstone on Cumnock Connections family tree and in Commonwealth Graves Commission

Michael Shirkie, a miner, was born in Catrine in 1889. He was the eldest child of Edward Shirkie and his wife Isabella Montgomery. He had fair hair and blue eyes and was 5ft 7in.  He was a Private 7th Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders.  He was reported missing presumed dead after the Battle of Loos on the 25th September 1915. He was 26. Michael (Mick) was batman to Captain Wm H Kirkland who was also killed in the Battle of Loos and the story goes Michael went to his aid on the field and perished too. Michael's sister got a letter addressed to any living relative of Michael Shirkie, Skares. It was from Captain Kirkland's sister and the postman delivered it to Liz's grandmother Nellie, Michael's sister in the photo.

Mick Shirkie with brother Johnnie and sister Nellie

Thanks to Liz Ferguson, Michael's great niece for info and photo.

Both men are commemorated on the Cumnock War Memorial and on the Loos Memorial in France.



Michael Shirkie on Cumnock Connections family tree and on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site



Update 17 Sep 2014
It seems that not 2 but 3 men signed up together.
John Stewart of 54 Skares Row also enlisted together. I have found the service papers of John Stewart which confirms he did. After the war he went to the USA.
The cousin of Michael Shirkie also Michael Shirkie, mentioned below, did sign up but he was younger and enlisted later than the other 3.

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