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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: Margaret Russell on Sunday 24 September 06 07:22 BST (UK)
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My dad's uncle, Archibald Dorries was the writer of the lyrics of many of Sir Harry Lauder's songs. He was known as the "Bard of Bailleston"
When my father was a lad, he often delivered a lyric or two to the Lauder's house.
When a child delivered a message to a house, the recipient would give the child a sweetie or a farthing. My dad told me that he received nothing anytime he went, and never forgot that.
After WWI, my mother and some other young ladies were waiting under the heilin' man's umbrella before they all went to one of the Glasgow theatres. Charlie Dorries , the son of Archibald, was a singer, and used to do a circuit of theatres from Glasgow to Australia to America.
Some young men who were also waiting there, got the attention of these young ladies. One of them, Angus told Jeannie, that if she promised to have tea with him in town, after the show, that she could meet his cousin, Charles Dorries. Jeannie thought this was a new one, but said she would like to meet Charles. They did, and the rest is history. That was how my mom and dad met.
When I was a child, we used to receive a Christmas card from "uncle Airchie" and inside the card was always his own poetry.
Has anyone heard of Archibald or Charlie Dorries?
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I come from Baillieston and research its history, and I'm sorry to say I've never came across this man. Can you advise which years you refer to where your father delivered lyrics to Lauder, pre-WW1 ?
Where did Lauder live at this time ? Hamilton ?
If you can add a bit I'll certainly keep an eye out for Archie Dorries and advise you.
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Hi Margaret
On the IGI is one solitary family:
Parents: Daniel DORRIES and Mary McFADYN
John DORRIES 22 NOV 1857 Tradeston, Glasgow, Lanark
Daniel DORRIES Birth: 10 AUG 1860 Haddington, East Lothian-
Helen DORRIES 29 OCT 1861 Haddington, East Lothian
Archibald DORRIES 11 JAN 1863 Haddington, East Lothian
Charles DORRIES 04 MAY 1865 High Church, Glasgow, Lanark
Neil DORRIES Birth: 15 JUL 1867 High Church, Glasgow, Lanark
Jane ALEXANDER DORRIES 11 FEB 1869 High Church, Glasgow, Lanark
Angus DORRIES 04 SEP 1871 High Church, Glasgow, Lanark
Hugh DORRIES 12 JUL 1874 Calton, Glasgow, Lanark
The daughter Helen DORRIES appears in this tree:
http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=anna-louise&id=I18715
It says she married Jul 1881 in Govan Glasgow and died around 3 Jan 1937 in 32 Tobago Street, Shettleston, Glasgow, as Helen LEITCH.
I have the 1881 Scot Census CD and I cannot find any Helen DORRIES or any other DORRIES in the Glasgow region or anywhere in the Lowlands region - my Highlands region is broiken so I can't check it..
................Hang on, you said "Mom" - American or Canadian - that Rootsweb tree is your family, isn't it? Or is it? The owner of the tree has a nz email address though ::) ;D
So you already do have the names of Archibald's parents, at least?
Cheers
AMBLY
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Ambly - Thanks for the information. You are right, you have the family. Helen is my grandmother, and her brother is Archibald. Archibald's son was Charles Dorries, the music hall singer.
Helen's mother as you mentioned was Mary McFAdyen
born in Tobermory Mull, whereas the rest of the family were born on the Isle of Tyree.
The McLean's on the Isle of Tyree were considered the Bards. Perhaps there are a few McLean's thrown in somewhere, as Archibald had the gift of poetry.
Yes Helen Dorries (Cameron) Leitch was raised by her aunt, Flora (McPhaiden ) Cameron. Helen died in 1939 at Tobago St.
I was born and raised in Winnipeg Canada, and I remember her death well because she died on my birthday.
My dad seldom attended church, but I recall, that Sunday that he accompanied us all for an evening service. When we returned home, his mother's picture (Helen) was lying on the floor, the glass all smashed, though no one was in the house. My mom had the 6th sense, and said, "I think you'll hear o yer mither's death." Two weeks later we received a letter from Glasgow telling us about it.
Blessings Margaret
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Robert Murray - I am pleased that you research Bailleston history. I am sorry, too, that you haven't heard about Archibald.
My dad was born in 1888, so I imagine that he would be around the ages of 7-10 years when he visited the Lauder house with the lyrics.
If my almost 80 years memory serves me rightly, I think Harry lived in one of the big houses over near the Peoples' Palace.
Dad lived on King St, not far from this area. I don't know Glasgow, but I think I remember him mentioning Greendyke St. or something like that.
If you find out anything, please keep me in mind. Thanks.
Blessings margaret
According to what I understood as a child, that many of the lyrics that Harry claimed to have written were actually written by Archibald, and perhaps that is the reason that he is not well known.
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Margaret Greendyke St. is very near the People's Palace and King Street is off Trongate in Glasgow city centre, not Baillieston I'm afraid. However he may have been born there eh? I'll keep an eye out for the name.
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Robert Murray - Thanks for telling about these streets. My father was born in Calton, but perhaps the Dorries family lived in Bailleston, I really don't know.
Being separated from our relatives was bad enough, but it was real dedication to keep up any correspondence during those Depression Years, and then the delays that were encountered during WWII.
I am sure there must be relatives in Glasgow on both my mother and my father's side, but where?
Thanks for your contribution, as every little bit of information helps.
Blessings margaret
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Ambly, I feel for you having a 'broken 1881 Highlands', would be lost without it :'(
Margaret, I looked on the Highland region, I could only find one Dorries and this is a 22 year old Jessie Dorries, Servant and Table Maid, born in Gartsferry and working at Airth Castle, Airth in Stirlingshire for a Wauchope family. The head of the family, Andrew Wauchope has the interesting occupation of 'Australian Squatter'.
regards,
Lindsay
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Thank you Lindsay for your information. Jessie could be one of them, but I haven't come across the name Jessie as yet, but with the spelling as such it could.
Where do your Gibsons in Lanarkshire come from?
Blessings Margaret
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Hello Margaret,
My earliest Gibsons came from Haddington or East Lothian as far as I can tell. It appears from the birth of a son in Cadder in 1824 that they moved to the Old Monklands area after about 1819.
Another son was later living and working in East Kilbride where his son, Andrew Gibson was born in 1845 in East Kilbride. Andrew Gibson (c. 1845) later became Farm Grieve at Jellyhill Farm near Cadder and married an Elizabeth Hewitt in 1878 in Baillieston after the death of his first wife Elizabeth Finlay.
The Hewitts (originally from Ireland by way of Wigtownshire) came from Baillieston. Elizabeth Hewitt was born c. 1857 in Baillieston (no birth certificate has been found for her), as were all of her 8 siblings and her parents married there in 1854. Her father, Joseph Hewitt died in Baillieston in 1896 and I think that most if not all Hewitts in Baillieston up until the early 1900's are mine.
The children of Andrew Gibson and Elizabeth Hewitt continued to live in the Cadder/Bishopsbriggs/Baillieston areas until c. 1923 when I lose sight of them as did children of Andrew Gibson's brother (William married to Jessie Robertson) and their Uncle - also Andrew Gibson (married to Margaret Boswell) who died in Cadder in 1901.
Who are your Gibsons please? Mine are definitely a brickwall, past and present.
regards,
Lindsay
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Lindsay - The time frame is different. My John Brown married Elisabeth Gibson @1763 in Rutherglen. John died 12 Nov 1788. The witnesses at the marriage were John and Archibald Gibson
John and Elisabeth had three son:
-John b 25 Mar 1764 Rutherglen who married Agnes Park 19 Jul 1789 Rutherglen
-Thomas b 1767 Rutherglen
-James b 08 Feb 1775 Rutherglen
Thanks for your quick response.
Blessings margaret
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Dear Margaret,
I live in Glasgow and Archibald Dorries was my great grandfather. Coincidentally I had two of my cousins over to visit last night and we were looking at some old photographs of that branch of the family and talking about 'the bard of baillieston'. I decided to do a google search this morning to see if I could find any information and just happened to come across your posting.
My mother, who passed away in 1998, was Doris Thompson (nee Macnair), daughter of Margaret (Maggie) Macnair (nee Dorries) and Alexander Macnair.
Margaret Dorries was the daughter of Archibald Dorries and Janet Flanagan, and sister of Charlie (and several other brothers and sisters). I have a copy of her birth certificate which confirms that she was born on 12 Feb 1888 at 74 Stevenson Street, Glasgow. Her parents Archibald and Janet had been married on August 10, 1881 in Dennistoun, Glasgow which is where they lived at that time.
The spelling of the name seems to have changed over the years from Dorries to Dorris to Doris. My Mum's cousin was Dan Doris who for many years had a very successful and well known hairdressing business in Largs, Ayrshire where he also became Provost (mayor) for several years.
I'm also aware of the Harry Lauder connection and I have one or two of Archibald Dorries's songs/poems written for the family, as do my cousins. We all have photos of Archibald (Grandad Dorries as he was called) and Great Uncle Charlie with my grandmother and other memebrs of the family.
Charlie emigrated to Australia so there's another branch of the family out there, and although my mother kept in touch with her cousins in Australia and went out to visit them many years ago, that generation has all gone now. I didn't know that Charlie was a music hall singer.
I though Helen (Auntie Nellie) had emigrated to Australia too, but I'm not 100% sure about that.
All very interesting!
Linda
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Dear Margaret,
I live in Glasgow and Archibald Dorries was my great grandfather. Coincidentally I had two of my cousins over to visit last night and we were looking at some old photographs of that branch of the family and talking about 'the bard of baillieston'. I decided to do a google search this morning to see if I could find any information and just happened to come across your posting.
My mother, who passed away in 1998, was Doris Thompson (nee Macnair), daughter of Margaret (Maggie) Macnair (nee Dorries) and Alexander Macnair.
Margaret Dorries was the daughter of Archibald Dorries and Janet Flanagan, and sister of Charlie (and several other brothers and sisters). I have a copy of her birth certificate which confirms that she was born on 12 Feb 1888 at 74 Stevenson Street, Glasgow. Her parents Archibald and Janet had been married on August 10, 1881 in Dennistoun, Glasgow which is where they lived at that time.
The spelling of the name seems to have changed over the years from Dorries to Dorris to Doris. My Mum's cousin was Dan Doris who for many years had a very successful and well known hairdressing business in Largs, Ayrshire where he also became Provost (mayor) for several years.
I'm also aware of the Harry Lauder connection and I have one or two of Archibald Dorries's songs/poems written for the family, as do my cousins. We all have photos of Archibald (Grandad Dorries as he was called) and Great Uncle Charlie with my grandmother and other memebrs of the family.
Charlie emigrated to Australia so there's another branch of the family out there, and although my mother kept in touch with her cousins in Australia and went out to visit them many years ago, that generation has all gone now. I didn't know that Charlie was a music hall singer.
I though Helen (Auntie Nellie) had emigrated to Australia too, but I'm not 100% sure about that.
All very interesting!
Linda
Dear Linda - please get in touch with me. My e-mail address is:
(*)
Blessings margaret
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Dear Margaret,
I'm sorry to have taken so long to get back to you. I would very much like to hear about what you have found about the Dorris family. but to contact you with my email address via personal messages I realise that I need to post another two comments. This is my first.
Best wishes,
Linda
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Dear Margaret,
I remember my grandmother, Margaret Macnair (nee Doris), writing to a relative in Canada when I was very young. I wonder if that was someone in your family?
Best wishes,
Linda