Jean Carson, b.c. 1786 Kirkmabreck

[Gadget]

Haven't looked at the Kirk sessions for Kirkmabreck.

I'd love to think that I'd got smugglers as ancestors - oh tell me more 

Got lots of books on D & G - spent a whole afternoon in Wigtown 

Gadget

[duckweed]

I used to live in Creetown.  The area was a vast smuggling area.  Many of the local houses have secret tunnels in the attics and hiding places.  I've seen them.  Walter Scott wrote Dirk Hatterick because he knew the area knew.  There are small holes in the rocks on the Ravenshall shore about four miles from Creetown where smugglers hid contraband and at one time Covenanters.  The minister of Anworth was dismissed because of his smuggling connections.  His name was Carson but I don't know his first name.  Robert Burns stayed frequently in Creetown when he worked as an excise man.  One of the biggest smuggling operations was  Morrison, Gault and Company whose secret headquarters at Clone Farm, on Luce Bay, near Port William but their operation spread a long way.  The kirk session records are fun to read because I read them some time ago when researching the parish of Kirkmabreck.  Beyond ordinary church business they were also responsible for the morality of the parish so all the gossip is there too.  Somewhere I have a history of the parish written some 20 years ago by a local man Drew Murray who drew on a lot of the local legends as well as his own more academic research.  It was only printed locally so is not in circulation.  I'll see if I can find it and see if any of your ancestors turn up in it.  I have some 19th century history books but they are for the whole of scotland or Edinburgh but I have a couple of books about Galloway which were written in the 1930s so have some details not current.  I'll see what I can dig up.  Who knows I might find something useful.   

[Gadget]

That would be lovely, duckweed. Thank you ever so.

I've got lots of history/local tales books  on D & G - old and new that I've collected over the last few years. The bookshops in Wigtown might have an odd copy. I know that there was one where the owner was really into local history in a big way - I spent ages talking to him. Got some Galmumfreys (?spelling).

There was also a good bookshop in Kirkcudbright itself.

I want some smuggler ancestors, please find some for me 

Gadget

[Gadget]

I forgot to mention that when I was last in Creetown, there was a marvelous exhibition of old photos, newspaper cuttings and other memorabilia. It was really super and all done by volunteers.

Also, the stone from the local quarry was sent to Livepool to build the docks there. It's one explanation of why thee are so many people from that area in Liverpool.

Another insight was to look at a map with the Irish Sea in the centre. It explains why the Irish, Gallovidians, Manx and North Wales peoples mixed so much in the earlier centuries. Sea travel was that much more easy.

Lots of adverts for travel to Liverpool as well in the exhibition. Oh it's all coming back 

Gadget

[duckweed]

I'm glad they are still doing the exhibitions. My mother and I started them off a number of years ago.  It started as a fundraiser showing local artists work and asking locals to bring old objects and photos.  It was a great success as there is nothing a community likes better than looking at old phots and swapping family legends.