Barrhead Newspapers

[rosie]

Hi Morag have you tried the scotsman on line. I also had a suicide for 1895 and couldn't find any reference to it in the Glasgow News papers as thats where it happened, so i tried my luck with the scotsman newspaper, they have an excellent digital archives , i also found articals relating to another event too.

Hope this helps
Rosie

[Morag]

Thanks for that Rosie.
I just checked the index for the Scotsman and nothing was jumping out.
I wouldn't have thought of the Scotsman for events in the west , so I will keep it in mind for other things.
Thanks
Morag

[Murphyz]

Hello I came across this post by accident. The Barrhead News publication did not start to late on in 1897 that is why the library holds records from 1897. Up to then the Barrhead stories would have been covered by the Paisley papers, but the later in the 19th century you get the less there is in the Paisley papers as Paisley itself took up the majority of the news. Did the libary in Paisley check the papers for you?

I have also realised there is a grave stone in Neilston cemetery with the following inscription. I have a photo of it but it isn't great, if it is of any interest, let me know and the first bright sunny weekend I will go and take another,

“Erected By
Alexander Farquhar
In loving memory of his wife
Agnes Dunlop
Who died 21st May 1894,
Aged 40 years,
Also their son,
Alexander Robertson
Died 27th April 1888
Aged 1 year and three months
Also Elizabeth Neil,
Died 18th Feby 1897 (?) aged 55 years
Janet McPhee Farquhar
Died 2nd June 1903
Aged 6 years and 11 months
Jeanie C Farquhar
Died 2nd Nov 1903
Agnes Farquhar
Died 23rd May 1905, aged 24 years
Alexander Farquhar
Died 19th June 1908, aged 57 years
His wife Jeanie Sanderson
Died 1st July 1948, aged 78 years”

Along base of stone

“All that live must die
Passing through nature to eternity.”


It is an impressive stone, was Alexander Farquhar some one? If I remember I will try and check the library for 1908, but it may be a couple of weeks

[Morag]

Wow - that certainly is some headstone - I do not have a copy of that and would love to see the photo. If I could also be cheeky and ask if there are any other Farquhar stones in Neilston ?
Elizabeth Neil must be his 2nd wife's mother as her name was Jeannie Saunderson Neil. The children's deaths I did already have.
Alexander ( and most of his family ) was a colour mixer in the Bleachworks , so I wouldn't have thought would have had much money , so not sure why he has such a grand headstone.
I had a speedy response back from the library , but unfortunately no details were found.
Thanks again for all of this
Morag

[SarahND]

Hello Murphyz and a warm welcome to

It's very kind of you to use your first post to help out another member Don't hesitate to post if you run into any brick walls in your research, so we can return the favor!

All the best,
Sarah

[ninatoo]

Interesting thread....I have three suicides....the first by hanging. This one has always bothered me because it was my 80 year old ggg grandmother Mary Carson ms Hyslop (or variations). It was on 17 July 1911 in Irvine Ayr. The RCE states a time, between 9.30 am and 11.45 am....scary to think that someone saw her at 9.30 and she was probably busy planning her death! I would love to see some kind of reference to this....surely it would have created a bit of a sensation, given she was of such an age!

Then there is my sad couple - more remote connection - (the above's grandson and his wife), who committed suicide together on 25 March 1956, again in Irvine. I hesitate to list their names because I have not found any children for this couple, given they were married in 1930, and wouldn't like a family member of theirs to come across this post. Their cause of death was suicide by coal gas inhalation. One has to wonder what brought them to such a decision.

Not able to find anything for either other than the RCE's.

[Currie]

Hello Nina,

I had a bit of a fiddle with the free search at the Scotsman but couldn’t find anything remotely promising in 1911.

The Glasgow Herald is free online for March 1956, nothing is coming up with the search, but maybe a manual browse would locate something. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=G ... 0&b_mode=2

The North Ayrshire library has a couple of Irvine newspapers on microfilm but only up to 1950. Anything relevant should be easy to find. Maybe it would be worthwhile contacting them. http://www.ers.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/lo ... papers.cfm

All the best,
Alan

[joette]

My Granny was the eldest surviving girl in a large family.She very causually mentioned one day as we were commiserating with my sister who was suffering Post-Natal-Depression at the time
"Oh we had to lock up all the Lysol & the potions(my Great-Granny was the local midwife & assisted the local GP's too)for about six months after she had the babies she always went funny- especially after Katie"(who was the youngest).
Seeing as how your ancestor had lost children would make her more prone to depression especially PND.Maybe her widower & sister were comforting each other after her death?
Nina I have a connection who gassed himself-it was a fairly common way to do it-literally sticking your head in the oven according to anecdotal evidence I have been told.There is nothing beyond the RCE on his death certificate.The most exciting(am I twisted or not?) Is a possible ancestor who strangled his wife of many years & hid her body under the covers & tried to make out she had had a stroke.He was hanged in Dumbarton mid 1800's but I still cannot prove for sure the connection-it made the papers.