November 13, 1903
Councilor Crawford was appointed bailie by Ardrossan Town Council, and
Saltcoats Council elected Councillor Donaldson as bailie and ex-bailie
Miller as Police Judge (the first time such an appointment has been made
for Saltcoats).
At Ardrossan Town Council meeting Mr Christie complained about the
discreditable state of the voters' roll. It was agreed to call the
attention of the assessor to the number of errors in it.
Mr John Wilson, hairdresser, Glasgow, who won first prize and championship
at Belfast Dog Show with his well-known mustard Dandie Dinmont dog, Kelvin
Jack belongs to Ardrossan and 24 years ago was on the Herald staff of
employees.
The new Licensing Act comes into operation on January 1, 1904. Irvine and
Saltcoats are the only two burghs in the Northern District of Ayrshire
that will have separate licensing courts.
Mr Patrick Comrie has been appointed clerk and treasurer to Dalry School
Board in succession to his late father.
Mr John Walker of Waterside, Irvine, one of the youngest members of Irvine
Golf Club, went round Bogside course recently, equalling the record. he is
the third Bogside man to
record that score.
November 20, 1903
The co-partnership of Archibald Duncan & Co, family grocers, etc, 39
Princes Street, Ardrossan, of which Archibald Duncan and John Duncan are
the subscribers, has been dissolved and the business will be carried on by
Archibald Duncan. The witnesses in the petition are:- bells Blair, draper,
Saltcoats and Maggie McBride, draper, Saltcoats.
Mr Bruce, gardener, Seafield, Ardrossan, was winner of a handsome silver
cup at Beith Chrysanthemum Show.
There has been a revival of the infantile game of marbles in Ardrossan but
older players than boys are taking part.
New Parish Church, Ardrossan, after an overhaul, will be opened on Sunday
when the recently appointed assistant, the Rev J Kirkland Cameron, will
make his debut.
At the congregational Manse, at Glen Sannox, Arran, the Rev Alan McDougall
was presented with a purse of sovereigns to mark the completion of the
25th year of his Ministry in Sannox.
Kilbirnie Ladeside beat Ardrossan Celtic 4-0 in an Ayrshire Cup-tie at
Ardrossan. Robbie Dobbie was the best forward on the field, Dom McIvor the
best half and Larry McDonald the better goalkeeper.
At a social gathering Thomas Steel, the popular outside right of Kilbirnie
Ladeside received a marriage presentation. Mr Robert Partridge, secretary,
handed over the gift.
November 27, 1903
The third annual poultry and pigeon show at Saltcoats was described by
judges and breeders alike as "the best poultry show that has ever been in
Scotland". here were 704 entries. Notable among the prizewinners was the
Earl of Rosebery who, with eight birds exhibited in the poultry section,
obtained two first prizes, three seconds, one third one fourth and on hc
certificate. The cup in the pigeon section was won by Mr John Reid,
Stevenston, and among principal winners were messrs Reid, Saltcoats, and
Davis, Ardrossan.
Three fatalities took place in the district during the past week. Robert
Brown, an old employee of Ardrossan Harbour, was fatally injured while
working at a winch in connection with the sluice gates; Charles Hutton
(28) employed as a baker with Ardrossan Co-operative Society, accidentally
fell into the Old Dock and was drowned; and Mrs Maggie Gillon or Rodgers,
5 Arthur Street, Saltcoats, was fatally burned through her clothes
catching fire in her home.
Members of the League of the Cross, Saltcoats, staged a play the
Shamrock and the Rose. members of the cast included messrs H Kelly, D
Whyte, M Reilly, C McCulloch, j Pettigrew, P Keenan, N Coyle, J Leckie, J
McCourt and F Connor; and Misses A Milgrew, S Bonnar, L Smyth and M
Murray.
Mr James Love upholsterer, King's Road, Beith, sailed last Saturday for
South Africa. he has accepted a situation with a cabinet-making firm in
Port Elizabeth, where Messrs W Stevenson and John Kerr, also of Beith, are
engaged.
Mr Whiteford, Kilmory Public School, Arran, has been presented with a
Davenport desk by the children of the school on his leaving to take charge
of the public school in Roxburgh.
Dalry School Board have appointed Mr RW Barr, MA to an assistantship in
the Higher Department of Dalry Public School at a salary of £100 per
annum.
December 4, 1903
The first annual supper and dance of Kilbirnie Ladeside
Football Club was held on Friday in the King's Arms Hall and over 70 were
present. Mr Hugh Purdie, treasurer replying to the toast of the club, said
they were at present leaders of the Scottish Junior Football League and
were in the last eight of three cups.
At the Mill Pond on Wednesday Ardrossan Castle Curling Club members played
for the Provost Barr Medal. The winners were W Brown's rink.
The death has taken place of Mr Henry Mellon, headmaster of St Mary's RC
School, Saltcoats.
Mr Robert Paton, a native of Dalry, has died at Port Jarvis, USA., where
he was residing with his daughter, Mrs Elizabeth Elder. He was a well
known violinist. America has been his home since 1870 but he made frequent
visits to Dalry.
At Stevenston Savings Bank the sum received from depositors during the
past year was £267 6s 10d and £94 1s 9d was paid to depositors.
400 boxes of herrings were sent from Fairlie to Glasgow.
Mr David Kerr, Park Farm, Beith, has removed to Town Farm, Kilwinning.
December 11, 1903
There is an alarming increase in criminality in Ardrossan.
Six boys were at court on Monday on various charges. One nine year old
"highwayman" who knocked down a boy of four years and stole a purse
containing 3d was sent to an industrial school for seven years.
A meeting of railway men at Ardrossan agreed to form a local branch of the
Amalgamated Society of railway Servants. Twenty one members were enrolled.
The following were on Sunday ordained elders in Erskine Church, Saltcoats;
Messrs William Hamilton, John Hogarth, David Melville and John Portsons.
The number of elders is 13, the highest in the history of the
congregation.
A Roman Catholic chapel is to be built in the sandhills at Auchenharvie,
Stevenston. It will be called St John's.
West Kilbride Parish Church Young Men's Guild have presented two pocket
bibles to Messrs William and Archibald Montgomery on the occasion of their
leaving Meadowhead to take over the tenantship of a farm in Essex.
Stevenston Liberal Association have elected the following office bearers:-
The Rev A Morris Moodie and Messrs J Morrison, P Reid, A Wilson jnr and A
Banks jnr.
December 18, 1903
At a meeting of Ardrossan United Free Presbyterian, the Rev
Charles Lamont, South Beach Church, Saltcoats, intimated that, in the
matter of the call to him by Dingwall congregation, he felt he would
rather in the meantime continue to labour in his present sphere.
M John Miller, mason, Raise Street, Saltcoats, whose death took place on
Wednesday, was one of the best draughts players in the district.
In a debate at Saltcoats Literary Society's weekly meeting on Saturday,
Messrs RW Watt and A Stirrat supported Preferential Tariffs and Messrs G
Tait and A Taylor spoke for Free Trade. Free traders won the vote by seven
to six.
At Stevenston Rechabites' annual social, Bro William McBrown, CR presided,
Bro John Scott, secretary, reported that the membership had increased to
200 and their tent was the fifth largest in Ayrshire.
Levoch Cottage, Gateside, Beith, has been sold for £175.
A well-known footballer with Beith FC and Abercorn FC, James Beggs has
died at the age of 24.
Mr Robert Thomson, late draper and inspector of poor, Kilbirnie, has died
at the age of 87.
December 25, 1903
Mr Albert Beard has been appointed Collector of Customs at Ardrossan in
place of Edgar Marable promoted to Barrow.
During the year the sum deposited in the Saltcoats Penny Savings Bank
totalled £610 8s 10d. The sum due to depositors at the close of the year
was £279 5s 4d. 522 accounts are open.
An old property in Bridge Street Kilbirnie, belonging to Mr Robert Logan
has been acquired by Mr James Crawford, baker, for the erection of the
bakehouse and shop.
In a billiards match Ardrossan Liberal Club defeated Ardrossan Unionist
Club by 5 games to 3 and a majority of 115 points.
