1860 - 1869 - An Arbroath Timeline
BL
Arbroath Bowling Club
- established 1861
James Malcolm Mason
John Edward ( Ned ) Doig
Knox's
Church
1867
1860 - 1869
1860 Old Kirk Wynd is widened to form what by the 1890s will be known as Kirk Square. 1860 'Arbroath & It's Abbey; or The Early History of The Town & Abbey of Aberbrothock' by David Miller (1809 - 1879) is published. 1860 Inverbrothock Church at the corner of James St & Reform St is extended. 1860 The (Voluntary) Corps is combined with the 1st Brigade, Forfarshire Artillery Volunteers with HQ in Albany Quarters, Bell Street, Dundee. (Source: M.O.D.) 1860 approx (-63) Shipbuilders J & J Hall operate next to the Signal Tower. 1860 Horner's Wynd, amid much opposition, has it's name changed to Commerce Street. 1860-1872 The Arbroath Shipbuilding Co. operate east of the harbour (now McKay's site). 1861 The Academy and the Educational Institution unite to form Arbroath's first High School in Hill Place. It will in turn become Arbroath's Public Library. 1861 Arbroath Bowling Club is established. 1861 The population is 17,657. 1861 Baltic Works, a four storey building on Dens Road, is built. 1861 David Carnegie's 'Lays & Lyrics from the Factory' is published. Click here: 1861 During improvements on Hospitalfield Estate, 100 - 120 interred human skeletons are found within a sandy hillock east of Hospitalfield Lodge. Foundations are also excavated of a building SE of the burial ground, probably of the Chapel of St John the Baptist, associated with the medieval plague & leprosy hospital. 1861 Helen Aitken is listed as Tuttie's neuk's public house keeper. Her husband John Aitken died in 1853. (See 'Questions & Answer's' page. 1861 (Nov 23) James Glen Sivewright is born in Arbroath (son of William Gibson & Elizabeth Sivewright). He will become an architect, his projects including London County Council hostel in Drury Lane (1891), West Riding County Hall in Wakefield (1898) and Middlesex Guildhall (1913). Dies 1951. 1862 (Feb) An Arbroath to Edinburgh return train fare costs 16s 9d. 1862 The jail at the corner of Gravesend is closed due to a shortage of offenders ! 1862 Grant's shoemaking firm is established. 1862 George Hay becomes editor of the Arbroath Guide. 1863 An anonymous Arbroath lady writes the poem 'Frae The Wives At The Fit O' The Toun' (right), in praise of Mr William Gibson who has gifted a water supply to the burgh. The editor will write a tune for it in 2011. 1863 The farmer of West Newbigging has found, on a knoll called ' The Pretty Thing ', two burial cists containing human bones. A clay urn in excellent preservation is also found. 1863 At the launching of the barque 'Elmgrove', the vessel capsizes with 30 men & boys aboard. Only one boy has a slight chain injury, but boys are banned from future launchings. 1864 Evangelical Union opens. 1864 Forbes' Fund is founded: Not less than 8 or more than 10 pounds/year to destitute widows & old single females. 1864 The town's gas holders are built. 1864 (Aug 22) James Malcolm Mason is born in Arbroath. After studying medicine in Glasgow, he works in Portsmouth & Blyth, Northumberland before studying law. He emigrates to New Zealand in 1895 where, in Otaki, he is doctor & soon justice of the peace.. As doctor, bacteriologist & public health administrator, he will be remembered for 'his far sighted contributions to the development of his adopted country's public health system'. 1864 (Sep) The brigantine 'Scotsman', official no. 48641 and built by The Arbroath Shipbuilding Company, is launched. She will ply the coastal trade (at least in the late 1870s) and may have last sailed in 1893. By the current year, the Arbroath Shipbuilding Co is the only local boat builder. As the linen industry slows in growth, the requirement for vessels decreases. 1864 River walls are being built for the Brothock Water, from the foot of Marketgate to Dangerpoint. 1864-65 The old Burgh Tolbooth, built in 1686 and abandoned in 1779, is eventually demolished. 1865 The Public Hall is erected on High Street, containing a museum & a large concert & public meeting hall. 1865 The RNLI takes over the Lifeboat Station and a new boathouse is built at East Grimsby. 1865 RM Ballantyne publishes his children's novel 'The Lighthouse'. In it's creation he has spent three weeks in the Bell Rock Lighthouse. 1865 William Briggs & Sons Ltd, tar manufacturers, opens for business at Elliot, on a large site between the railway line & the sea. (see 1970). 1865 Irvingite Church opens. 1865 Ladyloan Church is elevated from 'chapel of ease' to 'quoad sacra church'. 1866 (Jan 2) New Lifeboat 'Peoples Journal No.2' arrives at Arbroath. This & Peterhead sister boat 'No.1' have been paid for by readers of that magazine. The vessel will remain in service until 1888. 1866 Queen Street Independent Chapel is designed by architect William Aitkenhead. 1866 Congregationalist Church opens. 1866 The St Vigeans & Arbroath combination Poorhouse (Rosemount Home), opens on the high ground east of Ward Mill Hill, off Brechin Road. 1866 (Oct 29) John Edward 'Ned' Doig is born in Arbroath. He will become an exceptional goalkeeper, joining Arbroath FC in 1884 & gaining 2 Scottish Caps whilst with the Lichties. The briefest of spells with Blackburn Rovers in 1889 is followed by his 1890 signing by Sunderland FC where he will remain for 14 seasons & gain a further 4 Scottish International Caps. Later, Sunderland fans will rate him their greatest ever player. He ends his career with Liverpool in 1908, aged 41. In 1919 he will die aged only 53, a victim of the Spanish Flu epidemic. 1867 (Jan 27) Princes Street United Presbyterian Church opens at the corner of Queen Street & Princes Street. 1867 Knox's Free Church opens at the corner of Cairnie Street & Howard Street.. 1867 The town's 18 spinning mills employ 4,941 people. 1867 The connection between Market Place & Commerce Street opens. 1867 The Western Cemetery is opened on what had been 20 acres of prime farmland. 1868 An upper storey is added to Wesley House, the manse. It receives a water supply in 1888. 1868 Gibson Fund founded: £100 to Educational Trust for the higher education of poor lads by bursaries etc, & remainder annually between the town's poor householders (£20-25 each). Also the Gibson Xmas Charity, annual revenue of £2,000 applied: One half in coal, one half in groceries, oatmeal & clothes for the necessitous poor of Arbroath. 1869 Barclay Ross are established in Commerce Street. 1869 Abbey Church is elevated from 'chapel of ease' to 'quoad sacra church'. It becomes the Parish Church. 1869 To provide a local water supply, a well is sunk which will become Nolt Loan Pumping Station at the foot of Keptie Hill, supplying a 40'0" tank and becoming the town's first water tower (see map left and 1871). 1869 Duncan's Charity is founded. 1869 The Parish Church (Kirk Wynd) is 'enlarged or repaired'.
James Glen Sivewright Gibson and below the Middlesex Guildhall which in Oct 2009
will become the UK Supreme Court
I'm gaun tae sit doun, tho' I'm no vera guid a't To pour oot my heart to Him that's aboon For blessins on him that I winna mention That's gien sic a gift at the fit o' the toun Sae aft's I hae ran t' the Boulzie Hill wallie An' waitin' my turn - I wis aye late at noon An' fan I cam back there wis naethin but hurry But there's nae hinder noo at the fit o' the toun The wives a' aroun me, I'm sure they will join me For blessins on him wha has gien us the boon For it's always oor crack fan we're fillin oor buckets The gude that he's dune at the fit o'the toun Anon
' Guid Willie Gibson' - a song by 'Fidycat' from the anonymous 1863 poem.....
( note : maps left & right are dated 1901 )
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