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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Fife => Topic started by: antonycorrigan on Thursday 30 December 21 19:32 GMT (UK)
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Hi all,
I am trying to locate a road or street referred to as “Bridgeton” in Kirkcaldy.
My great grandmother was born at 38 Bridgeton, Kirkcaldy in 1912.
Bridgeton is listed on the 1901 census index, but I can’t seem to locate where it would have been positioned.
If possible, can anyone help with this and perhaps also confirm what now lies on that site?
Thanks
Antony
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Antony,
South end of the town.
If you check the old OS Maps and find Invertiel rail junction, Bridgeton is just to the east.
ref:- Fifeshire XXXV.16
Revised: 1943, Published: 1947
The best web site for OS Maps of the area is that of the National Library of Scotland
Istrice
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Thank you Istrice.
It seems to now be Kinghorn Road - which as you say is to the east of Invertriel Junction and the Invertriel Road, going south, with Bridge Street to the north.
I very much doubt the original homes exists now, but it’ll be nice to know the location at lest, so many thanks for your help.
Best wishes
Antony
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https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=56.09907&lon=-3.16630&layers=5&b=1
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Hi Forfarian.
Thank you for this link.
I’m not sure this is the correct place though as the birth certificate shows “38 Bridgeton” rather than “Bridgetown”.
I think as Istrice has said, I think it’s most likely to be what is now Kinghorn Road.
:)
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I’m not sure this is the correct place though as the birth certificate shows “38 Bridgeton” rather than “Bridgetown”.
Don't get hung up on spelling. Bridgetown and Bridgeton are alternative spellings of the name.
From the old map it looks as if Bridgeto(w)n was an area rather than just one street.
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Looks like 38 and 42 Bridgeton were demolished around 1935? www.onfife.com/archive_collection/dgk12292/
Monica
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Hi,
I have sort of stumbled across your post from a different angle. I was wondering if your great grand-mother was a Couper? If so, I was then wondering if she had a sister possibly called Jane?
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Hi i have read your post regarding 38 Bridgeton Kirkcaldy. Can i ask was this a hospital? I have a Patterson Death there in April 1917.
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Looking at the surprising number of newspaper hits for “38 Bridgeton Kirkcaldy” which are a parade of births, deaths, accidents and minor crimes with many associated names I think it is safe to say that the address was residential and probably a tenement.
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In case anyone lands here trying to clarify where Bridgeton was in Kirkcaldy, here is a definitive answer. Apologies if I have duplicated information from the older parts of the thread ( and I realise it is a very old thread!)
The street called Bridgeton can be seen on these 1895 town plans:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/74416076#zoom=4.4&lat=2139&lon=7652&layers=BT (https://maps.nls.uk/view/74416076#zoom=4.4&lat=2139&lon=7652&layers=BT)
https://maps.nls.uk/view/74416078#zoom=3.8&lat=8313&lon=7438&layers=BT (https://maps.nls.uk/view/74416078#zoom=3.8&lat=8313&lon=7438&layers=BT)
It runs from West Bridge over Tiel Burn SSE to a junction with Horse Wynd (whcih runs to the ENE); Invertiel Road (runs WSW) and St Clair Place (runs SSE) with a Free Church manse at the south end.
On the town plan of 1855/1857 it is clear that the northern section was then called West Bridge then, after the junction, the stretch running down to the manse was called Morningside:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/74416058 (https://maps.nls.uk/view/74416058)
Finally, here is a side-by-side view comparing the 1895 town plan with the modern map. It seems that today's Bridge Street aligns with the northern section of Bridgeton, but south of the junction with Invertiel Road and Esplanade the alignment breaks down and the modern Kinghorn Road doesn't really follow the line of Bridgeton. However it is clear from the maps—and from a quick hop on to Street View—that the manse is still there, a sole survivor in a sea of modern mediocrity.
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17.9&lat=56.09743&lon=-3.16409&layers=93&right=osm (https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17.9&lat=56.09743&lon=-3.16409&layers=93&right=osm)
Added: as recently as 1994 there are newspaper adverts for a pub/restaurant called The Fourways with the address Bridgeton, Kirkcaldy.
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Where was no. 38, and was it a tenement?
Here is the 1948 1:1250 map showing house numbers in Bridgeton. Number 38 is on the east side of the road at the top of the map and near the junction with Invertiel Road etc.. It is clearly different from the other buildings in the locality.
https://maps.nls.uk/view/102735137#zoom=4.4&lat=6703&lon=3204&layers=BT (https://maps.nls.uk/view/102735137#zoom=4.4&lat=6703&lon=3204&layers=BT)
Was it a tenement? In the 1905 valuation rolls I have identified no. 38 by cross-referencing names in newspaper articles with occupants. It is a little confusing because the newspaper articles always refer to addresses in Bridgeton whereas the valuation rolls have the addresses as Bridge Street, but I have found so many matching names that I am confident that I have the correct address. In 1905 there are 10 occupancies listed for number 38 Bridge Street, but of these 9 are empty. The other is occupied by a Thomas Crombie, bleachfield worker, and there is a Thomas Crombie, dyer, of 38 Bridgeton who features in newspaper articles in 1904.
So, it was a tenement of some sort, but apparently not a desirable place to live at that time.
Added: comparing the earlier Town Plans with the 1948 map, it seems that there has been some demolition in the vicinity of no. 38, and nos. 40 and 42 are missing from the sequence.