James McKirdy enlistment WW1

[sugarbakers]

Thank you, maxD, that's great, the name - Hugh Carmalt Walker - has given me something to work on.

Walker's Sugar in Greenock was founded by shipowner John Walker in 1850 in partnership with James Speirs. After John's death in 1866 and Speirs' retirement, the company was run variously by John's brother Hugh, his sons and John's sons, and then their sons.

Hugh Carmalt Walker was the third son of Hugh William Walker and grandson of the founder, and was still serving the company in 1951, even though it had been consumed into the Tate & Lyle empire in 1928.

[Source: The Sugar Refining Families of Great Britain, by Geoffrey Fairrie, pub T&L 1951]

[sheenamac]

Hi MaxD.  Unless anything else turns up I'm happy to accept that we've got it.  Thanks again for your help with this one.  Now my FH group expect me to write it all up for their newletter.   Sorry I can't offer that first class ticket - you'll just have to trust me to do it justice and to extoll the virtues of people like yourself working through RootsChat.  When I write it up, I'll PM you.

That's two brick walls in two weeks worked out through RootsChat.  An excellent result.

Sheena

[MaxD]

Thanks for coming in on this one sugarbakers.  Rootschat is, as always, a fascinating place - who'd have thought there was so much information to be collated on something as (to me at any rate) esoteric as sugar makers! I note that the same chap was still active in the Home Guard in the second war!

Sheenamac - looking forward to your write up!

maxD

[sheenamac]

Sugarbakers.  I think I thanked you earlier but didn't mention you in my final message.  I'm sure we'll communicate again as I unearth other members of my family who worked at Walkers.

Sheena

[MaxD]

Just to say, before I go for a lie down in a darkened room, that I have now found 435 Sgt James McKirdy, positively identified by rank and number, in the war diary of the 3rd Highland Howitzer Brigade Royal Field Artillery (having 7 days leave in October 1915).

(The diary is entitled 258 Brigade Royal Field Artillery as that was its later re-numbering.  It is in the National Archives at  http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354748 for £3.45, also on Ancestry for a sub or from Amazon on Kindle at £4.80)

maxD

[sugarbakers]

Thanks, maxD and Sheena.


From SP ...

Hugh Carmalt Walker ... born 1887, died 1969 aged 82.