INDEX
Hearth Tax Records for Strathblane, 1691-1695
The First Statistical Account: Strathblane by Rev Gavin Gibb (1796).
Farm Horse Tax Rolls for Strathblane, 1797-1798
Gazetteer of Scotland 1803 by F Ray
The Second Statistical Account: Strathblane, by Rev Hamilton Buchanan (1841).
Groome’s Gazetteer, 1884
The Parish of Strathblane and its Inhabitants from Early Times (1886) by John Guthrie Smith
Strathblane Record of Applications for Parochial Relief 1888-1917
Heraldry, from 1207
In 1988 the Reverend Alex Fleming, who was then the parish minister of Strathblane Church, commissioned Dr Perry Harrison to write an illustrated pamphlet describing the seven coats of arms
Hearth Tax Records for Strathblane, 1691-1695
This tax roll lists landowners and tenants liable for a 14 shilling tax on each hearth in their property, as well as six parish paupers who were exempt
The First Statistical Account: Strathblane by Rev Gavin Gibb (1796).
The first Statistical Account (or OSA) was initiated by Sir John Sinclair and published by William Creech of Edinburgh. It took several years to obtain all the reports and, rather than waiting until he had the complete set in his possession, Sinclair issued volumes as and when there was sufficient content: this means that the…
Farm Horse Tax Rolls for Strathblane, 1797-1798
A tax on farm horses was imposed in Scotland in 1797 to raise money to support the army and navy during the French Revolutionary Wars. In Strathblane inspectors counted 92 horses, of which 66 were eligible for the tax.
Gazetteer of Scotland 1803 by F Ray
Ray’s Gazetteer, published in 1803, describes the parish of Strathblane in pre-industrial times, stressing the beauty of the Blane Valley with its spectacular views towards the Trossachs. Several errors are
The Life & Remains of the Late Rev William Hamilton, Minister of Strathblane (1836)
The Reverend Dr William Hamilton was the minister of Strathblane from 1809 until his death in 1835. In 1836 a memoir of his life and work was published by his
The Second Statistical Account: Strathblane, by Rev Hamilton Buchanan (1841).
The second Statistical Account (or NSA) was initiated by the Sons and Daughters of the Clergy in 1832 and published by Blackwoods and Sons. The first edition, which took the form of 52 quarterly parts, was published between March 1834 and October 1845. A re-issue in 33 county volumes was published between 1841 and 1845.…
Rambles Round Glasgow by Hugh MacDonald (1854)
Hugh MacDonald was a Scottish journalist, poet and author from Glasgow. He wrote for the newspaper the Glasgow Citizen for many years under the pen name ‘Caleb’. He is best known for his book Rambles Round Glasgow, published in 1854 by Thomas Murray and Son.
The Poems of Thomas Thorpe
The poet Thomas Thorpe was born on 9 March, 1829 in Milton, Dunbartonshire, son of a block printer at the local works. When he was five, he moved with his
Revisiting Strathblane (1881) by William T McAuslane
This poem was first printed in the Lennox Herald on 10 September 1881 and was “inscribed to AP Coubrough Esq, Blanefield Printworks”. McAuslane was clearly a friend of the Coubroughs,
Groome’s Gazetteer, 1884
Groome’s Gazetteer of Scotland offers a snapshot of Strathblane in 1884 at which point the valley contained “an ex-quisite assemblage of mansions, lakes, woods, and luxuriant corn fields”, according to the author. The huge printworks, employing hundreds of men, women and children, living in cramped tenements and cottages, receives only a passing mention.
The Parish of Strathblane and its Inhabitants from Early Times (1886) by John Guthrie Smith
The main source of early historical information about the area is John Guthrie Smith’s book “The Parish of Strathblane and its Inhabitants from Early Times”. This weighty tome was published
Strathblane Record of Applications for Parochial Relief 1888-1917
The applications for poor relief often survive as a separate series. Between 1845 and 1865 the information they contain is not much less than that in the registers of poor, but they are considerably less detailed than the general registers of poor introduced in 1865. For example, the application forms will not include the religious…
Some Impressions of Village Life in the Parish of Strathblane during the First Decade of the Twentieth Century by John K Campbell
In response to suggestions from several friends I have sought to give a picture of life in the village during the period 1900-1910, during the whole of which time I
The Strathblane Notebooks: Life in a Stirlingshire Village before the First World War by Alex Urquhart (Ed. Anne Balfour)
The Strathblane Notebooks Life in a Stirlingshire Village before the First World WarBy Alex Urquhart edited by Anne Balfour Strathblane Heritage Society INTRODUCTION A remarkable memoir of life in Strathblane
A Village Remembers: Strathblane First World War Project
Contents FOREWORD The loss of a loved one is always hard to bear, more so when it is unexpected and far from home. That is usually the case when the
Missing Men
For various reasons, a number of men from the parish fell in the First World War yet are not commemorated on the War Memorial. These men are also therefore only
Local Hero: Private James Norval Paul MM & Bar
On 2 May 1919 the people of Strathblane gathered to honour a local hero. They presented an inscribed gold watch to local gamekeeper James Norval Paul “in recognition of his
Fellowship Camping Association 1926-1966
Every now and then at Strathblane Heritage, a true gem falls into our laps that lights up a facet of local history at risk of being lost forever. While the
Strathblane Between the Wars by Helen Lillie
Extract from A New Kind of Life by Helen Lillie (Argyll Publishing, 1999) When they were first married, my parents lived on Cecil Street in the West End of Glasgow
Women of their Time: The Blane Valley in the 1930s by Helen Lillie
Extract from A New Kind of Life by Helen Lillie (Argyll Publishing, 1999) The older people living in the Blane Valley between the wars usually had unmarried daughters at home.
The Campsies and the Land of Lennox by Iain C Lees (1933)
Extracts from The Campsies and the Land of Lennox by Iain C Lees, describing walks around Strathblane. (Blackie & Sons, Glasgow, 1933) Secrets of the Campsie Fells The rich valley
Summer Knickers – A Scottish Wartime Childhood by Sarah Paton Wiseman (edited extracts), with an addendum by Margie Mitchell
A delightful memoir of a small girl’s life in Strathblane in the 1940s & 50s
The Call of the Campsies (1946)
The Campsies have a special place in the hearts of many and not only in the villages that fringe them. For Scots flying back into Glasgow Airport, the familiar silhouette
This Is Our Parish 1957 -1958 by Harry & Helen Arnold
This Is Our Parish 1957 -1958 is based on footage taken by Harry and Helen Arnold during this period. It is three parts. The first is a comprehensive view of
Ladies Scottish Climbing Club (1958)
The Ladies Scottish Climbing Club was founded in 1908, by these three women, at a boulder near the Lix Toll in Perthshire. https://www.ladiesscottishclimbingclub.org/history/ At our vintage film night in January
Growing up in Strathblane in the 1950s & 60s by Donald Macintyre
Early Days I was not born in the village but in Salisbury House, Campsie Glen. My dad was a native of Strathblane, being born in Milndavie House. My mum was
The Third Statistical Account (1951, Revised 1961) by Rev Philip McCardel
The parish of Strathblane, some twenty square miles in size, lies in the south-west corner of Stirlingshire. It was at one time part of the county of Dunbarton and as
Strathblane 1870-1970 A Century of Change by Alison Dryden (Ed. Mary Brailey & Murray O’Donnell)
A book by local historian Alison Dryden, who died in 2009. Published posthumously by Strathblane Heritage Society in November 2012. Paperback, 218 pages. (Available from Strathblane Heritage, £8.50) From the
The Poetry of Murray O’Donnell
Murray O’Donnell was the embodiment of a “man o’pairts”. Panto dame, dramatist, local historian, bowler, mason, mechanic, family man and friend to those in need. The list could go on
Home to Strathblane (1993) and Strathblane & Away (1996), Argyll Publishing by Helen Lillie
Helen Lillie produced historical novels, Home to Strathblane in 1993 and Strathblane & Away in 1996.
Children’s Home Hospital (1903-1994)
“Often a child made a dramatic recovery on the back of good food, fresh air & loving care” – Margaret McIntyre, who worked at Strathblane Children’s Home Hospital for two
World War One
Boer War Of 1899-1902 One of the famous battles of this war was the Relief of Mafeking, which was marked by a bonfire in a field near Napier Lodge. The
Free Church
John Guthrie Smith records that the neat little church and manse belonging to the Free Church stands on the site of the old village of Netherton and the first ordained
Parish Church (1216-1982)
“The church is a beautiful building of modern Gothic, reared in 1803.” Rev Hamilton Buchanan, Second Statistical Account of the Parish of Strathblane, 1841. Early History The parish of Strathblane
Blanefield Printworks
Block printing is the printing of patterns on fabrics using a carved block, usually made from wood. It originated in India around the 5th century BC but did not arrive
St Kessog’s Roman Catholic Church
The opening of St Kessog’s Roman Catholic Church in Blanefield on 28 May 1893 was the culmination of much enterprise in the parish. The number of Roman Catholics had increased
Blane Valley Railway
RAILWAY MANIA By 8.30 on the morning of Monday 1 July 1867 an excited crowd had gathered in Blanefield near the bottom of the Cuilt Brae to greet the community’s
New website
Derek Townsend from Webreturn has worked with Strathblane Heritage Society to build this new website. The website is designed to be updatable without extensive technical skills, and works on mobile
Netherton/Blanefield
“Nothing is now left of Old Netherton save the smithy and the school-house, and its very name seems likely to perish, for the factory originally called Blane Printfield has expanded
Edenkill/Edenkiln
Edenkill (now Edenkiln) occupied the heart of the community we now call Strathblane and was one of the three villages that comprised the parish, along with Netherton (Blanefield) and Mugdock.
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 1 JOHN YOUNG BARR
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 1 JOHN YOUNG BARR, LIEUTENANT ARGYLL & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS, AGED 23. “Some of Jack’s men, anxious to pay a last tribute to their commander, whom they all
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 2 ROBERT BLAIR
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 2 ROBERT BLAIR, PRIVATE HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY, AGED 33. “The Devil Dwarfs, as they became known on account of their reputation for tenacity and mischief,
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 3&4 JAMES & WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 3 JAMES COCHRANE CARTWRIGHT, PRIVATE ARMY SERVICE CORPS, AGED 35, & 4 WILLIAM JOHN CARTWRIGHT, GUNNER ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY, AGED 34. “Every name on a
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 5 WILLIAM DEVLYN
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 5 WILLIAM DEVLYN, PRIVATE HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY, AGED 22. “Mr Devlyn was a popular member of the local tennis club and was much esteemed by
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 6 GEORGE DON
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 6 GEORGE DON, GUNNER ROYAL GARRISON ARTILLERY, AGED 35. “It was George’s wretched luck that married men under 41 were conscripted into the British Army
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 7 WILLIAM GEORGE EDMONSTONE
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 7 WILLIAM GEORGE EDMONSTONE, LIEUTENANT COLDSTREAM GUARDS, AGED 19. “It will be a great day, as of the four battalions of the Guards Division in
STRATHBLANE WW1 Project: 8 WILLIAM KER
STRATHBLANE WW1 Project: 8 WILLIAM KER LIEUTENANT HAWKE BATTALION ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION, AGED 24. “I crossed the blood red ribbon, that once was no man’s land, I saw a misty
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 9 ALEXANDER LOWE
STRATHBLANE WORLD WAR 1 PROJECT: 9 ALEXANDER LOWE, SAPPER ROYAL ENGINEERS, AGED 25 “The letter spoke in the highest praise of Sapper Lowe for his abilities and attention to duty,
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 10 ALEXANDER MITCHELL
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 10 ALEXANDER MITCHELL, PRIVATE CAMERONIANS (SCOTTISH RIFLES), AGED 36. “12 April. Second attack by 9th Div. at Arras – attack was a costly failure. Staff planning at
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 11 DANIEL MORRISON
STRATHBLANE WORLD WAR ONE PROJECT: 11 DANIEL MORRISON, PRIVATE KING’S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS, AGED 38 “Of a quiet and retiring disposition, he put his heart into whatever he took up.”
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 12 WILFRID BLAKE MOYES
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 12 WILFRID BLAKE MOYES, SERGEANT 8th ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT, AGED 30. “I fled through the rushing space, The stars beat on my head: I
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 13 JOHN MCCULLOCH
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 13 JOHN MCCULLOCH, PRIVATE ARGYLL & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS, AGED 34. “Private McCulloch was most popular with everyone, being such a cheerful and willing soldier and was greatly
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 14 DONALD MCINTYRE
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 14 DONALD MCINTYRE, TROOPER LOVAT SCOUTS, AGED 23. “Both as a civilian and a soldier he was much liked, being a young man of open
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 15 JAMES MACINTYRE
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 15 JAMES MACINTYRE, PRIVATE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS, AGED 19. “My Dearest James, You are splendid to be off already and I do wish you luck. Hope this parcel
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 16 DONALD JOHNSON MCNEIL
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 16 DONALD JOHNSON MCNEIL, SERGEANT 1ST BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLANDERS), AGED 24. “They [the Scots Greys and the Black Watch] went at the enemy as
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 17 ROBERT ROWLEY ORR
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 17 ROBERT ROWLEY ORR, CAPTAIN ARGYLL & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS/ROYAL FLYING CORPS, AGED 30. “This officer, who was one of two brothers who were both connected with the
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 18 WILLIAM PATERSON
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 18 WILLIAM PATERSON, PRIVATE ARGYLL & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS, AGED 27. “The Battle of the Somme …was responsible for the deaths of two young men from
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 19 COLIN OGILVIE RANKIN
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 19 COLIN OGILVIE RANKIN, LANCE CORPORAL HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY, AGED 27. “One of the battalions opposing us was similar to our own, a students’ battalion
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 20 ROBERT RIGG
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 20 ROBERT RIGG, CORPORAL GORDON HIGHLANDERS, AGED 21. “Barely three weeks before John Rigg heard that Robert had been killed, his employer had received the
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 21 JAMES ROBB
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 21 JAMES ROBB, TROOPER, LIFE GUARDS (HOUSEHOLD BATTALION), AGED 21. “Having gone into this action 498 men strong, the Household Battalion suffered 348 casualties. 13
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 22 ARCHIBALD (ARCHIE) LAMONT SCOTT
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 22 ARCHIBALD (ARCHIE) LAMONT SCOTT, PRIVATE MACHINE GUN CORPS, AGED 27. “He was a fine fellow, a good worker, and never complained. I will miss him very
STRATHBLANE WW1: 23 MICHAEL STEWART
STRATHBLANE WORLD WAR 1: 23 MICHAEL STEWART, PRIVATE KING’S LIVERPOOL REGIMENT, AGED 29. “You only heal so that there’s someone left to kill!” A resentful soldier to his doctor. Although
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 24 FERGUSON THOMSON
STRATHBLANE FIRST WORLD WAR PROJECT: 24 FERGUSON THOMSON, PRIVATE, SCOTS GUARDS, AGED 22. “Private Fergus Thomson, Scots Guards, son of Mr Thomson, The Clachan, Blanefield, has been awarded the Military
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 25 ERIC FERNANDEZ YARROW
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 25 ERIC FERNANDEZ YARROW, LIEUTENANT ARGYLL & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS, AGED 20. “I hope you will not worry about me as I am well and safe…No doubt this
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 26 PHILIP BINNIE
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 26 PHILIP BINNIE, SECOND LIEUTENANT SCOTTISH RIFLES, AGED 27. “He spent a short holiday in the Strath a few months ago, and was a splendid type of
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 27 JOHN DILLON
STRATHBLANE WW1 PROJECT: 27 JOHN DILLON, PRIVATE ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS, AGED 24. “The bearers are in good spirits despite the casualties and working well but had a rough time
Romans and Picts Around Strathblane
By Dr Murray Cook As every patriotic Scot knows, the Romans tried and failed to conquer Scotland…the only nation in Europe to resist the might of the Eagles. Unfortunately, this
Missing Men – John Colquhoun
John Colquhoun, Private Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, aged 19 On April 14 1917 the Stirling Observer reported the “death of a Strathblane man”, aged 19. In fact, John Colquhoun had
Missing Men – Robert Walker Macindoe Coubrough
Robert Walker Macindoe Coubrough, Lance Cpl Highland Light Infantry, aged 23 Robert was born in September 1894 at Craigend Farm, Campsie Glen, the second son of farmer John Coubrough and
Missing Men – Daniel Dugan
Daniel Dugan, Corporal Black Watch, aged 19. Daniel’s Irish-born grandparents had settled in Blanefield in the 1880s. In 1891 the family, including nine children, plus three boarders, are all described
Missing Men – Andrew Fitzpatrick
Andrew Fitzpatrick, Quartermaster Sergeant Scottish Rifles, aged 37. Of all the First World War casualties with local connections and who do not feature on Strathblane War Memorial, the case of
Missing Men – George Cumming Gardner
George Cumming Gardner, Cpl King’s Own Scottish Borderers, aged 26 George Cumming Gardner was born at Muirhouse Farm, Strathblane, on September 6 1889. Having left the village in his youth
Missing Men – Alexander Buchanan Gilchrist
Alexander Buchanan Gilchrist, Sergeant/CSM Reserve Canadian Infantry, aged 30. On June 6 1906 Passenger Number 192 boarded the Allan Line’s SS Carthaginian in Glasgow bound for Montreal with the dream
Missing Men – John Kennedy
John Kennedy, Private Royal Scots Fusiliers, aged 32 Several of the men of Strathblane who died in the First World War left behind children so young that they may never
Missing Men – James McLean Love
James McLean Love, Private Seaforth Highlanders, aged 43. James spent a year fighting for his country and the next 11 fighting for his life, after being caught in the first
Missing Men – James McKenzie
James McKenzie, Private Royal Lancashire Fusiliers, aged 19. James McKenzie’s family was long established in Strathblane. His father, also James, worked at the waterworks and lived at Dumbrock. His mother
Missing Men – William Rankin McLintock
William Rankin McLintock, Private Royal Canadian Dragoons, aged 30. A brief bleak item appeared in the Milngavie & Bearsden Herald in July 1917. Under the headline “Strathblane Soldier Killed”, it
Missing Men – Donald McRae
Donald McRae, Private Cameron Highlanders, aged 21 Donald was neither born nor brought up in Strathblane but, like John Colquhoun and Philip Binnie, his parents appear to have had a
Missing Men – John Kemp Scott
John Kemp Scott, Lt Royal Scots Fusiliers, aged 24 John Kemp Scott stares resolutely from his portrait in which he wears the uniform of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. It is
Missing Men – John Douglas Walker
John Douglas Walker, Gunner Royal Garrison Artillery, aged 36 It is easy to imagine the wife and children of Gunner John Douglas Walker celebrating the news of the Armistice of
Missing Men – George Douglas Wilson
George Douglas Wilson, Lt Royal Field Artillery, aged 45 The country edition of the Stirling Observer of September 23 1916 contains a simple stark sentence in its war news: “Lieut.
Visit of Derwyn and Andrew Crozier-Smith to Strathblane
May 19-22 2023 Back in the summer of 2022 we received an email, out of the blue, from Derwyn in the Canadian town of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, asking for help in
Dumbrock Mills and Bleachfields
The abundance of water meant that bleaching and water-driven industries were commonplace in the parish in the 18th century and lasted well into the 19th century. By 1870 most of
School (1716 – 1966)
Though the first Strathblane parish schoolmaster was appointed in 1716, it was many years before the school was housed in a permanent schoolhouse. This was finally built in 1781 at
The Braes of Strathblane (Anon)
This is a typical “Broadside Ballad”, printed on a single sheet of cheap paper, often with a woodcut illustration, as here. They were a common form of printed material in
Duntreath and the Edmonstones
Originally thought to have been of Flemish stock, the Edmonstone family are said to have come to Scotland in the train of Princess Margaret who became the Queen of Malcolm
Auld Wives Lifts – feature in Stirling Observer
An all-woman climbing club have re-enacted a photograph taken around 100 years ago at a Strathblane geological curiosity. The Stirling Observer 07-07-2023
Our Memories of the Old School
In July 2023 we posted on the local Strathblanefield FACEBOOK group asking people to share their memories of the old school. Here are some of the responses: It’s so nice
Our Class Photos from the Old School
Here are some wonderful class photographs sent to us for the website, with the contributor’s comments below each. We won’t be posting full lists of the pupils with each each
Education, Education, Education…Georgina Marshall in conversation with Anne Balfour (2023)
It would be hard to find anyone who has a longer association with education in Strathblane than “Mrs Marshall”, as she is known to generations of pupils. As butcher’s daughter
Prize Draw for £100 note
To enter our prize draw come along to one of our meetings, or contact us through this website, and buy one or more of 100 numbered squares for £5 a
