Six Lives lost
The following tragic
tale had been transcribed from subsequent issues of
The Glasgow Herald
Monday, June 17th 1907
Millport on Saturday (15th
June) was the source of a lamentable boating accident involving the loss of six
lives. Mr. William Barclay, a Glasgow
gentleman and a party of friends hired a lugsail boat from Mr. William Wallace,
a well-known local owner and in the afternoon set out for a sail round the
Greater Cumbrae.
The sea was rather
rough and a stiff south-westerly wind prevailed. All went well with the party
for a time and the little boat reached along the shore at a fair pace. As she
neared Figgitioch Pier, a lonely part of the island near Fintry Bay
The occupants of the
boat were Mr. William Barclay, 19 Kelvinside Gardens East, his son, Mr. John
Barclay; his daughter Mrs Waterston and two of her children, William age four
and Agnes age two; and Miss Jenny Blair, Dalry.
It is not definitely
known how the accident occurred. Mr. Barclay was familiar with the handling of
boats and frequently sailed about Millport
Bay
A sad feature of the
affair is that arrangements were being made for the marriage of Mr. John
Barclay and Miss Blair.
The accident created
a painful reaction in Millport and when the news reached Glasgow and Dalry,
words failed to express adequately the grief of the friends and acquaintances
of the unfortunate party. In Dalry the information was received through Rev.
Mr. Glass, to whom a telegram was addressed from Millport.
Reference was made to
the accident in several of the Millport Churches yesterday.
So far, only four
bodies have been recovered – those of Mr. William Barclay, Mr. John Barclay,
Miss Blair and William Waterston.
Mr. William Barclay
was a native of Kilbirnie. In his early days he came to Glasgow and worked at his trade as a cabinet
maker. Model yachting was, however, his favourite pastime. He built a number of
noteable miniature boats and was a familiar figure on the banks of the artificial
pond in Maxwell Park. His wife predeceased him several years ago and for some
time he resided with his son-in-law, Mr. John Waterston at 19 Kelvinside
Gardens East.
Mr. John Barclay, his
son, was only thirty-one years of age. About ten years ago he was employed with
Messrs Arthur & Co., Queen Street, Glasgow; but on receiving an appointment
in South Africa, he left the country and worked in the colony until recently,
returning to get married.
Miss Jenny Blair, the
young lady to whom he was engaged, was the daughter of Mr. Thomas Blair, baker,
Dalry.
Mrs. Waterston was
the only daughter of Mr. William Barclay. She was the wife of John Waterston,
pawnbroker, 35 Fernie Street ,
Maryhill. William Waterston, her son, was a bright little boy of four and her
daughter Agnes Waterston was two years of age.
The Death Notices of
William Law Barclay, John Barclay and Miss Jenny Allan Blair appeared in the
Glasgow Herald in the 18th, 19th, 20th June 1907 editions.
(Note that John Barclay appears in both)
Tuesday, June 18th 1907
The bodies of two
victims of the Millport boating disaster – Mrs. Waterston and one of her
children – are still unrecovered. Dredging operations for their recovery were
carried out on an extensive scale yesterday, but without success.
The bodies of Miss
Blair and Mr. John Barclay, the young couple who were engaged to be married,
were removed last night to Dalry, where the interment will take place tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 18th 1907
The Millport Disaster
Two bodies still
missing – search operations
The distressing
disaster off the Cumbrae coast on Saturday differs in some respects from many
boating fatalities which have marred holiday seasons. Mishaps of the kind have
been chiefly due to inexperience or carelessness, but on this occasion the
craft which foundered was in charge of a man who had had large experience in
the management of lugsail boats. How the accident was caused will probably
never be ascertained with accuracy, but there seems little doubt that the boat
was caught by one of the sudden squalls which are frequently experienced on the
West Coast. It is supposed that when the boat keeled over, Mrs. Waterston, with
the child in her arms, may have become entangled in the gear of the yacht.
The calamity was the
sole topic of conversation on the island yesterday and it was generally agreed
that the handling of the boat could not have been at fault as Mr. William
Barclay, who was at the rudder when the lugger disappeared round Farland Point,
was a keen yachtsman and had, during the past two or three seasons, sailed
round the Cumbraes in vaious yachts.
Story of Eye-Witness
The ill-fated boat
was names ‘Rover’. She measured about twenty one feet over all, was broad of
beam and seaworthy in every respect. Mr. Barclay had sailed her frequently.
Moreover, he knew the currents of the narrow channel. On Saturday the sea was
rather rough and a stiff south-westerly wind was driving up the fairway when
the party set out on their fatal journey. The boat slipped out of Millport Bay
A young man named
Joseph Walmsley Hardman, a draughtsman in the employment of Messrs Alley and
Maclellan, engineers, Polmadie, Glasgow, who was on a walk round the island saw
the boat disappear. He was powerless to render assistance. Setting a large
stone to mark the spot on the beach, he hastened to Millport and informed the
police authorities. Mr. Hardman times the accident as happening at ten minutes
to five o’clock, and corroboration was furnished by the watch found on the body
of Mr. William Barclay, which had stopped at 4.48. The police authorities
proceeded to the place indicated by Mr. Hardman and on arriving at Figgitoch Port ,
a stone slip over a mile north of Fintry
Bay
The bodies were those
of Mr. William Barclay, Mr. John Barclay, Miss Jenny Blair and Willie Waterston
and they lay within a few yards of each other. They were removed to Millport Town Hall
Efforts to recover
Bodies
Search has been mad
for the two remaining bodies, but up till last night they had not been
recovered. In order that the best possible results might be obtained by
trawling Bailie Reid, Millport, wired to Provost Watson, Largs, who is
secretary of the Sweep Trawling Association, asking him to send to the island a
staff of men along with the sweep trawls. The men arrived on Sunday forenoon
but owing to the heavy sea running it was not thought advisable to go round to
the spot. During the night however, the wind lessened and about three o’clock
on Sunday morning, a start was made by Largs fishermen as well as by several
boats manned by local crews. For some time the operations were carried on
without result but in two hours the lugger was located about 250 yards from the
shore at a depth of sixteen fathoms. At an early hour yesterday morning, the
dragging operations were resumed and these were continued until six in the
evening. It is understood that should the trawlers meet with no success today,
Mr Gush, the well-known Clyde diver, who is at present engaged with his vessel,
the ‘Beamer’, in Lamlash Bay (Arran ), will be
asked to give his services with the view of raising the sunk vessel.
Breaking the News
Mr. Barclay senior
was well known in Millport, to which he had gone for a number of years to spend
the summer holidays. On this occasion he had resided at 25 Glasgow Street since the beginning of
the month. At one time Mr. Barclay was a joiner in Glasgow ,
but some years ago he retired, and on the death of his wife, resided with his
daughter, Mrs. Waterston, at 19 Kelvinside
Gardens Glasgow
on Saturday night by the train connecting with the last boat to Millport, When
he landed at the pier, he was met by Provost Rowatt and a personal friend named
Mr. White, who took him into the private room on the quay and broke the
melancholy news. The tidings gave him a great shock.
The young man John
Barclay had arrived home only last week from South
Africa , where he had been employed as a book-keeper with
Messrs Arthur and Co. , (Limited). He was
thirty one years of age and was a man of fine physique. His principal object in
returning home from the Cape was to be married
to Miss Janet Blair, another of the victims. The latter was the daughter of Mr.
Thomas Blair of Dalry, and as she was well known and popular in that town,
considerable interest was manifested in her approaching marriage. There also
stayed with Mr. Barclay another son, aged seven years, of Mr. Waterston. But
for a fortunate circumstance, he might also have been among the drowned. It was
the intention of the mother to take her three children along with hr for the
sail, but at the moment of departure from the house, the little fellow could
not be found. He had apparently gone away for a ramble by himself and
consequently the others had left without him.
Victim’s Ayrshire
Friends
The Barclay family
formerly lived in Kilbirnie and many of their relatives are still resident in
that town. On receipt of the news on Sunday, a large number of relatives and
intimate friends of Mr. William Barclay and his son drove from Kilbirnie to
Largs with the intention of going across to the island. When they arrived at
the Ayrshire seaport in the forenoon, they were unable to find a boatman who
was inclined to risk his craft owing to the exceptionally high sea running in
the channel. About seven o’clock, however, the wind moderated a little and a
motor boat proprietor was prevailed upon to take three male cousins of young
Mr. Barclay across to Millport in his launch. In conversations with a ‘Herald’
representative, one of the young men, who was also a cousin of Miss Blair as
well as of Mr. John Barclay, said the wire received in Kilbirnie did not give
them any indication that Mr. William Barclay was one of the unfortunate party
and it was a great shock to all three of them to learn when they arrived at Mr.
Waterston’s house that their uncle William was also enumbered among the
drowned. They were under the impression that the sixth victim of the calamity
was a boatman. The cousins visited the mortuary where they saw the bodies of
their relatives and they afterwards left Millport with the intention of
breaking the news to those who were anxiously waiting for their return on the
mainland.
Funeral Arrangements
The bodies of Mr.
John Barclay and Miss Janet Blair were conveyed to Largs last evening by the
6.30 p.m. Caledonian steamer. Coaches were in waiting at Largs and the coffins
were placed in a hearse and conveyed by road to Dalry. The couple are to be
buried together in Dalry
Cemetery
Wednesday, June 19th 1907
Sunken Craft Raised –
No Trace of Missing Bodies
Millport, Tuesday
Night
The boating disaster
which occurred off the northern shores of the Greater Cumbrae on Saturday
evening and the efforts still being made for the recovery of the bodies of Mrs.
Waterston and her two year old daughter, continue to furnish the chief topics
of conversation in Millport. In the forenoon, the outlook from the town was
depressing. A strong south-westerly gale swept across the waters of the firth
and for several hours a thick mist lay upon the sea and land. It was early
evident that in the face of such a turbulent sea, it would be impossible to
resume the trawling operations. It was decided, therefore, by the crews of the
boats to remain ashore until the storm showed some signs of abating. After the
fruitless efforts of the trawlers yesterday, Bailie James Watson Reid, who all along
has rendered signal service in organising the trawling parties, felt that it
would be a wide thing to have the sunken vessel searched in case the bodies
might have become entangled in the gear and still remained on board. He
accordingly got into communication with Mr. Gush, the Clyde
diver, with the view of securing his services. A telegram was despatched to Mr.
Gush, who had been for some time engaged with his lighter, the ‘Beamer’ at
Lamlash Bay, asking him if he could find it convenient to visit the wreck
bringing his steamer and diving apparatus with him. Early yesterday afternoon a
reply was received to the effect that if required he could come, whereupon
Bailie Reid telegraphed again requesting him to come at once. Meanwhile the
gale had been gradually moderating until about two o’clock a change in the
direction of the wind had the effect of bringing a reduction in its strength to
that of a fresh westerly breeze. With the improvement in the weather the
trawlers, uncertain whether the services of the
diver had been secured, were making preparations to resume their
self-imposed task and were in the act of joining a conveyance which would take
them to where their craft lay at Fintry Bay, when the ‘Beamer’ was observed
steering a course past Cumbrae Head and into Millport Bay. It was then decided
to postpone all further trawling operations until the diver had had an
opportunity of viewing the wreck. Bailie Reid joined the ‘Beamer’ which left
immediately for Fintry
Bay
All was excitement on
board the lighter when the grim figure prepared to enter the water. He descended
slowly and after he had been a few minutes below, those above were given the
signal that he desired to return to the surface. When he made his appearance it
was to inform the anxious waiters that he had examined the craft and that neither
of the bodies was on board. It was a great disappointment to everyone.
Arrangements were at
once proceeded with for the raising of the lugsail and this was soon
accomplished by means of a powerful winch on board the ‘Beamer’, the ballast in
the shell of the yacht having been first removed. After she was brought to the
surface she was pumped dry and then lashed to the side of the ‘Beamer’ in which
position she was taken to Millport. Throughout the evening a large crowd had
assembled in the vicinity of the pier on the outlook for the return of the
diver and his vessel and when she made her appearance round Buttery Point
people flocked from all parts of the town, eager to know the result of their
mission. The ‘Beamer’ was moored alongside the pier and hundreds willingly
parted with their pennies in order to get past the barricade and obtain a
closer view.
The news that the two
bodies were still unrecovered spread rapidly and the greatest sympathy was
expressed on all hands for the sorrowing relatives. The little craft which had
foundered and taken to their deaths so many valuable lives came in for close
scrutiny. It was, of course, badly damaged, especially on the bottom which was
severely ripped. This was to be expected, looking to the fact that she carried a
fair quantity of ballast which would roll heavily about her bottom with the
movement of the waves.
A large number of
people hung about the quay till a late hour, discussing the affair in all its
aspects, the prevailing opinion that after the stormy weather of the past few days,
the chances of recovering the bodies are very remote.
Mr Waterston, who
since his arrival on the island on Saturday, might have been the guest of Dr.
Sinclair, is bearing up well under the sad blow which robbed him of his wife and
two of his children. He has been following with anxious interest the attempts
made to recover the missing bodies and throughout the day remained hopeful that
the search would eventually prove successful. His surviving son, Knox, a bright
lad of nine, is with him.
The bodies of Mr.
Barclay senior and his grandchild William Waterston have been placed in coffins
and will be removed for interment at Craigton
Cemetery , Glasgow on Thursday.
Thursday, June 20th 1907
Another Day’s
Fruitless Search
Millport, Wednesday
Night
A note of sorrow
still pervades the community of Millport. Even the amusements provided by a
troupe of minstrels had been temporarily abandoned, the performances remaining
in abeyance until this evening out of respect to the mourning relatives of the
persons who were drowned.
After the non-success
which attended the efforts of the diver yesterday, it was generally felt that
there was little use of a search for the bodies being continued, at least
through the medium of trawling. The crews of the Largs boats, conscious that
while they had failed, they had at least done their best, returned home. With
the Millport men it was different. Although far from hopeful of success, they
resolved today to make another search. Accordingly, shortly before eleven
o’clock, Wilson McNeil and a crew of four left Millport Bay
Instead of
prosecuting the search near the spots where the ‘Rover’ foundered, they
directed their efforts to the waters to he east and to the south and by systematic
trawling several hundred yards were covered on each side.
Throughout the day
and up till seven o’clock in the evening, they continued hard at their
self-imposed task in a choppy sea, but with night-fall coming on and the
weather growing more boisterous, they had at length to return disappointed at
their failure.
During the day, large
crowds of visitors watched the plucky trawlers from the shores. Other parties
made a circuit of the island and searched the shore, but they likewise failed
to find any trace of the body of Mrs. Waterston or of her little daughter and
it may perhaps be assumed that the bodies have now been removed by he action of
the currents from the immediate vicinity of the accident. Bearing in mind he
possibility that the bodies may be cast ashore at some other part of the firth,
the police have caused notice to be printed containing a description of the
bodies and this will be issued to he various authorities along the estuary of
the Clyde .
The condition of the
ill-fated little craft when discovered by Diver Gush was made the subject of
much talk today among the seafaring population of Millport. From the position
in which the vessel was found, it seems clear that at the time she sank, she
was running free, as the lugsail shoes (?) was well out, and so consequently
was the sail. It was seen also that, contrary to the general assumption, the
whole sail was set, the impression up till then being that at least one reef
had been taken in. A remarkable fact, too, was that the sheet was fastened,
which seems to indicate clearly that the steer-man of the party had not been
apprehensive that his craft was in danger. Not only was the sheet entwined on
the gunwale pin, but it was is addition fastened on a pin beneath. It is
impossible even now to account with any certainty for the accident, but there
is a possibility that a hard squall struck the sail, and that the helmsman was
unable to throw her off to the wind in time by releasing the lugsail sheet. The
damaged yacht remained at Millport Pier during the forenoon, but later in the
day it was removed to a yard in the town where it will likely be repaired.
The funeral of Mr.
Barclay senior and his grandson William Waterston takes place tomorrow and a
large number of relatives and friends are expected to attend.
Funeral of Miss Blair
and Mr. John Barclay
The funeral of Miss
Blair and Mr. John Barclay, two of the victims of he disaster took place at
Dalry yesterday, from the house of Miss Blair’s father in New Street . The tragic circumstances under
which the young people met their death just when arrangements for their wedding
had been completed caused a painful sensation in the town, and the interment of
the bodies yesterday aroused much public sympathy. All places of business were
closed and crowds lined the thoroughfare. The remains were conveyed in two
hearses and were interred in the one grave. Amongst others who followed the
remains to the cemetery, besides the relatives and friends of the deceased,
were representatives from all the public bodies in the town.
Friday, June 21st 1907
The Millport Boating
Disaster
Funeral of two of the
victims
The funeral of Mr.
William Law Barclay, aged sixty-two years and his four-year old grandson
William Waterston, two of the six persons who lost their lives through the
foundering of the lugsail yacht ‘Rover’ off Cumbrae on Saturday last, took
place yesterday from Millport to Craigton Cemetery, Glasgow.
A funeral service was
conducted shortly after 10 a.m. by Rev. Alexander Walker, East United Free Church,
in the Town Hall, Millport, where the bodies had remained since Sunday. There
was a large attendance of the general public. On the completion of the service,
which was short and impressive, the remains, contained in handsome oak coffins,
were placed in a hearse and the procession was formed in the quiet little
street outside the Town Hall. There was a numerous company of mourners, several
of the relatives of the deceased having arrived in Millport overnight, while in
addition to these, a number of towns-people, including Provost Rowatt, Rev.
Alexander Walker, Rev. James Frame (West United Free Church), Bailie James
Watson Reid and Mr. Charles Wallace, took part in the obsequies. As the cortege
took its way slowly along Guildford
Street and Stuart Street there were many signs of
mourning. The shops, hotels, and all places of business were closed while the
cortege was passing slowly towards the pier, most of the window blinds in the
houses were drawn and the burgh flag was flown at half-mast.
The progress of the
funeral procession was watched with sympathetic interest by large crowds of
people who had lined the streets and afterwards assembled on the pier. A the
pier the wreath-covered coffins were removed from the hearse and placed in
wooden cases upon the deck of the Caledonian Seam Packet Company’s steamer
‘Marchioness of Breadalbane’, the cases being afterwards with a large piece of
waterproof sheeting. The weather was dull and cheerless and the rain began to
fall in a thin drizzle as the steamer left Millport for Weymss Bay Weymss Bay , the coffins were taken from the steamer and
placed in the train for Glasgow .
The time of the
funeral being widely known in Glasgow , a crowd
of the general public waited along with the mourners, the arrival at the
Central Station of the train from Weymss
Bay Stevenson
Memorial Church Craigton
Cemetery Scotland
of the National Pawnbrokers’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland , and Messrs James Miller, chairman, John
Mackie, treasurer, and John Stevenson, secretary of the Glasgow branch of that association.
The bodies of Agnes Masterton
and that of her two year old daughter
were never found.
Both mother and
child’s deaths can be found in the Statutory Death Registrations giving their
date of death as 15th June 1907
Agnes (in some
documentation listed as having the middle name of Darroch) was the daughter of
William Law Barclay and his first wife Annie Darroch.
Her daughter,
although previously referred to as Agnes, is listed as Nan ,
and had the middle name of Chapman.
They both have an
R.C.E. attached to their recorded deaths in the Register of the Parish of
Cumbraes, County
of Bute
This was signed by R.
L. Macmillan, Procurator Fiscal
Rothesay, 22nd
July 1907 and at Millport 23rd July 1907
confirming that
neither body was found.
RCE stands for Register of Corrected Entries.
Since 1965, it has been known as
the Register of Corrections, Etc.
“Once an entry in a statutory register had been
completed, the orginal entry could not be altered if an error was later
discovered or an amendment was required as a result of new information.
Instead, each registrar kept a register of corrected entries in which such
amendments were written, originally after they had been approved by a sheriff.
The original statutory register entry was then marked RCE, Register of
Corrected Entries or Reg. Cor. Ent. in the left margin, followed by the volume
number, page number and date of the correction.
www.memento-mori.co.uk
