Hi everyone.
Someone recently posed the question about why the "ham and egg close" (or pen as I knew it) in Stevenston, New Street was so called. I thought I'd post the answer in case anyone else is interested. I have to thank my father-in-law Hugh Kelly for the answer. It seems that in the 1800's the area through the close housed miners on one side and on the other side the mine supervisors. The supervisors were known as the "ham" (or rich) and the  miners as the "eggs" (being poorer). Thus it came to be known as the "ham and egg close".

Jean (Park)& Jim Kelly

Hi Jean,
Thanks for your information regarding the "ham and egg close" as mentioned by your father-in-law Hugh Kelly. Thought I'd pass this on for what it's worth:

My great grandfather Hugh McCallum married Mary KELLY, at Stevenston in 1881.

Our Kelly family in Stevenston consisted of James Kelly who was born in Co Fermanagh in 1828. He was a coalminer but in 1881 was listed as a dynamite worker, he died in 1896 in Stevenston. James married Grizel (Grace) Thomson BIGGART, in 1850 at Stevenston. daughter of William BIGGART and Jean BOYD of Stevenston. Their children all born at Stevenston included:

Hugh KELLY, b. 1851
Jane KELLY,  b. 1855. m. Michael MURRAY, abt 1875.
James KELLY, b. 1861, m. Mary MURPHY, Abt. 1886.
William KELLY, b. 1861, m. Agnes MURPHY, 1886, Saltcoats
Mary KELLY, b. 1863,  m. Hugh McCallum, 1881, Stevenston
John KELLY, b. 1868,

Hugh McCallum

Hi Hugh
I will pass this information on to my father-in-law, Hugh. He was asking me about you. He seems to know McCallums from Saltcoats and Ardrossan and I couldn't remember which of the towns you were from. So you might let me know who your parents were and where from. It's fascinating to listen to him as he really does remember so much stuff. Jim (my husband) and Suzanne (my daughter) are making a trip home on May 2nd. Just for a week. Since Hugh is getting on a bit, we felt it would be a good idea for Jim to go visit. We are home regularly, but you never know.

By coincidence, one of his cronies is a Mr. Maxwell from Stevenston. I had phoned Hugh to ask him about the close, and he said he'd get in touch with this man. They meet at church. Anyway, when Hugh started asking quizzing him, the guy said "you don't have to tell me, I know all about this site on the internet". His brother , Dick, was home on holiday and had been telling him all about it. He is one of the people who writes regularly to the site. So it's a small world, and getting smaller.

As far as I know, Hugh's family came from Donegal. I have their picture on my wall at home. Some day I'd like to go to Ireland and try to find out more information. He has given us his parents' names and where they were born, but doubts there will be records as they lived way out in the country. I'm hoping that when Jim is home, he will do some research into my grandparents. I've come up against a brick wall and hope that if he pays a visit to the library, he will be able to get the information I need. Then I'll send away for their birth certificates. I wish I'd done all this when I lived there, as you are pretty limited to what you can find out. I've tried the Graham Wilson site, the Mormon church site, but with no luck.

Anyway, I'm still really enjoying the site, and am amazed at the 'new' people who sign the book on a regular basis. I've passed it on to all my friends, and they have passed it on to theirs. Just like the ripples in a pond, it just keeps going and going. You must be very proud of it. And deservedly so. I'll say bye for now.

Jean

Hi Jean,
My father was Hugh McCallum born at Kyles Hill, Saltcoats in 1912, his father James Kelly McCallum was born in Quay Street. Dad married our mother Susan Boyce from Ardrossan in 1931 and raised us kids in Ardrossan. Dad's siblings all lived in Saltcoats and were: Grace (Mrs Morrison), Sarah (Mrs Lynch), Annie (Mrs McCallum), Annie was a regular singer in the "Douglas" in the late 1950s. James (Daw) and William. The family home around 1940 was 17 Esplanade Cottages, Saltcoats which was the first cottage on the right going down Seabank Street from Canal Street.

Hugh McCallum