VINTAGE LUNDIN LINKS AND LARGO
  • Blog

1885 Platform Party

30/4/2017

6 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
The unveiling of the statue of Alexander Selkirk and the related celebrations have been covered here briefly before. However, the clarity of the above photograph of the 'platform party' on the day - 11 December 1885 - made me want to revisit the topic and to try to match the names recorded in the newspaper reports against the faces in the image. This blog post contains some initial deductions - can you help add more?

Present on the platform were:

David Gillies (Net Manufacturer, pictured right)
The Earl and Countess of Aberdeen (pictured below)
Thomas Stuart Burnett (sculptor of the statue) and Mrs Burnett
Major General Briggs and Mrs Briggs (Strathairley)
Colonel J Anstruther Thomson and Miss Thomson (Charleton)
Sir Archibald Campbell and Lady Campbell (Gibliston)
General Sir Frederick Hamilton and Lady Hamilton
Mr Baxter (Gilston)
Mr Davidson (Lahill)
Miss Rigg and Miss Haymes (Aithernie)
Dr and Mrs Palm
Rev David Malloch
Rev Dr Davidson
Ex-Bailie James L Selkirk (Glasgow)
Mr Wiliiam R Ketchen (Solicitor, Elie) and Miss Ketchen
Sergeant McKinnon (Colinsburgh)
Robert Gilchrist
Catherine Gillies
Samuel Gillies
James Gillies
Alexander Gillies
Miss Suttie
(Cardy House, sister-in-law of David Gillies)
Mr Boothby (Springfield House)
Rev Mr McGregor (Free Church, Elie)
Mr and Mrs Stalker (Leven)
Mr John Harrow Jr (Edinburgh)
Dr Angus and Mrs Crole (Leven)
Bailie Martin (Cellardyke)

Picture
The most instantly-recognisable individual shown is David Gillies himself - owner of Cardy Works, funder of the statue and organiser of the event. He is marked '1' on the image below. To his left (further right on the image) are the Countess of Aberdeen (marked '2') and the Earl of Aberdeen (marked '3'). Behind the Earl (and wearing a distinctive hat) might be T. Stuart Burnett (marked '4'). Behind the Countess are a number of other females, on the left edge of the platform - among them is likely to be Miss Suttie, Miss Rigg and Miss Haymes.

Hazarding a guess at the guests marked '5' and '6', these could perhaps be James L. Selkirk and William Ketchen, respectively. Selkirk is likely to have had a prominent position at the front and Ketchen was accompanied by a young relative. Both these men gave speeches during the ceremony. Guests '7' and '8' can be matched to other photographs that exist of them (further below) - they are Col. J. Anstruther Thomson and Sir Archibald Campbell. Finally, the individual marked '9' looks very much like Samuel Gillies.
Picture
Picture
Pictured left to right are Col. J. Anstruther Thomson, Sir Archibald Campbell and Samuel Gilles.
At the end of the day a special train was waiting to take the Earl and Countess away and, as it steamed off, several "fog signals" which had been placed on the rails went off. When they arrived at Thornton, they joined the express train going north. As the next day's Fife Free Press stated, David Gillies had "left no stone unturned to make the proceedings a success."
6 Comments
Mrs R. J. S. Goodwillie
8/6/2017 10:30:08 am

Samuel Gillies was my Great-Granddad. He and my Great-Uncles, John and Alexander were lost when the fishing boat, The Brothers, was swamped by a heavy sea and sank on 30th March 1886. It is good to be able to see another photo of him.

Reply
COLIN
15/10/2017 09:01:28 am

Alexander Gillies was my gggrandfather... cant make him out on the pic sadly

Reply
Mrs R. J. S. Goodwillie
16/10/2017 03:19:21 am

Colin
Unfortunately, the photo from The Scotsman, which appears in the book, "Seatoun of Largo", is not very clear so I'm not surprised that you have had problems recognising your Great-Grandfather. I didn't realise that my Great-Granddad had been there until the names were put on the Vintage Lundin Links website. However, there is a photo of Great-Granddad on his own in the book. My Dad was James Gillies, who was a painter and decorator. My Granddad was Andrew Gillies and my Grannie was Isabella Kidd, if this is any help to you. Incidentally, everyone calls me Jean, which is my middle-name.

Reply
COLIN
16/10/2017 12:29:45 pm

Hello Jean..my great uncle William Gillies was a painter and decorator as well, he lived on main street.
He must be related as well somehow, possibly cousins will need to check that out.

Micha Weir
6/10/2021 10:51:29 pm

My great-great grandfather David Melville and his wife Elizabeth (née Ballingall) lived in the Crusoe Buildings. My great grandfather James Ballingall Melville was born there.

Reply
Colin
7/10/2021 01:42:17 am

Hi Micha Elizabeth Ballingalls father James was my 3xgreat grandfathers younger brother.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    About

    This blog is about the history of the villages of Lundin Links, Lower Largo and Upper Largo in Fife, Scotland. Comments and contributions from readers are very welcome!

    Search

    There is no in-built search facility on this site. To search for content, go to Google and type your search words followed by "lundin weebly".

    Contact

    Categories

    All
    Antiquities
    Beach
    Boarding Houses
    Business
    Churches
    Clubs And Societies
    Drummochy
    Facilities
    Farming
    Fishing
    Golf
    Houses
    Keil's Den
    Largo Law
    Lower Largo
    Masseney Braes
    New Gilston
    People
    Railway
    School
    Shops
    Standing Stanes
    Streets
    Tourism
    Upper Largo
    Viaduct
    War

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Links

    Largo Baywatch Blog
    Fife Family History Society
    ​
    Polish Parachute Brigade Info​

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.