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Stewartry Museum News - February 2010
In recent weekssome particularly significant material of local historic interest has come into the care of the Stewartry Museum in Kirkcudbright. These include a book of Scottish Law used by William Ireland, Steward-Substitute for the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright in the mid-19th century; a fine sea chart of the Solway Firth surveyed by William Fell of Workington and published in 1825; and lace pillows, bobbins, books and patterns used locally.
The most impressive object recently acquired is The Drake Horn, pictured with this article. This fine horn and silver snuff-mull trophy was presented to the Dalry Curling Society in 1847, by Robert Walton Drake of Kenbank, near Dalry. Decorative snuff-mulls or containers of this type were popular in the mid 19th century, and the lid of this example is made in the form of a curling stone. The piece has Edinburgh hallmarks and carries the initials ‘J.C.’ possibly for an Edinburgh silversmith. The two circular medallions were added later to the chain and record the names of the trophy winners from 1849 until 1959, when the trophy was last competed for. The older of the two medallions was made by the Dumfries silversmith J. Adair. There is also an oval medallion which was presented by the ‘Ladies of the Parish to the Curlers of Dalry, to be worn with the Drake Horn’.
Another fine acquisition in January was one of the first Dux medals awarded by Kirkcudbright Academy, which is also illustrated here. This Dux medal for the best pupil in Latin was presented by the Magistrates of the Burgh to Basil William Mure in 1816. Basil was the son of the town’s Provost at this time, William Mure, who was also factor to the Earl of Selkirk on the St. Mary’s Isle Estate. In 1816, the project to build a new Kirkcudbright Academy was underway. The new building consisted of three classrooms for the three ‘schools’ or classes of English, Classics and Commerce, each with its own master. At least one wall of this original building can still be seen in the present Academy structure. The medal states that young Basil was the First Dux of the First Latin Class of the Academy, which perhaps suggests that the Classics ‘school’ was in the new building in 1816, although the Academy’s opening is usually dated to 1818.
Moving on almost 100 years, the adjacent photograph dates to around 1912 and records the labourers involved in constructing the Gatehouse sewerage scheme. This has been kindly lent for copying, along with the contract documents for the works which Gatehouse Town Council awarded to the local business of George H Fergusson, who is standing on the extreme right of the group. The photograph shows the individuals faces with particular clarity, but so far only George Fergusson, Robert McClymont (first left) and W Bryan (second left) have been identified. If you can recognise a father, grandfather or great-uncle, please let the Stewartry Museum know. The photograph was taken in Gatehouse High Street, near the present Rutherford Hall, and the former Angel Hotel is just visible in the background.
As always, the staff at the Stewartry Museum in Kirkcudbright are grateful to all those who have donated or lent historic material to the collection in recent weeks.