The Scotsman News paper – Wednesday, 10th August 1932
KIPPFORD DIAMOND WEDDING
An address of congratulation has been presented to Mr and Mrs S. M. Crosbie. The Anchorage, Kippford, by visitors and residents of the Kippford district of the Solway, on the attainment of their diamond wedding.
Mr Crosbie, who is a native of the district, was for many years a schoolmaster in Liverpool and on his retirement returned to reside at Kippford, which has developed as a holiday resort during his lifetime, and largely as a result of his efforts.
In his earlier years, he annually brought with him a large contingent of visitors from Liverpool, and he was the means of getting hill paths made and a sea wall and roadways constructed, as well as making the natural attractions of the district, known elsewhere, with the result that holidaymakers from England and Scotland in large numbers annually visit the district.
Mr Crosbie is connected by birth with Paul Jones, who was a native of Arbigland, a few miles along the Solway coast from Kippford. Mrs Crosbie is a daughter of the late Mr Robert Thomson, Linlithgow. For forty-four years ‘Mr Crosbie was headmaster of Everton School, Liverpool. In 1889 he instituted evening continuation classes to take the place of night schools.
These were conspicuously successful, and led to recognition of the system by Government. He took a special interest in music, and was the pioneer in teaching the sol-fa system in Liverpool. Amongst his Solwayside activities, he took a prominent part in getting a lighthouse placed on Heston Island. S. R. Crockett was one of his friends and contemporaries.
The Scotsman Newspaper – Monday, 1st March 1937
THE LATE MR S . M . CROSBIE
Pioneer in Adult Education
A SOLWAYSIDE FIGURE
A well-known Solwayside figure has been removed in the death of Mr Samuel Murdoch Crosbie, The Anchorage, Kippford. In August 1932.
Mr and Mrs Crosbie celebrated their diamond wedding, and on that occasion received a kindly message of congratulations and good wishes from the King and Queen.
Mr Crosbie, who was widely known by the pen-name,” Scaurorian,” was a native of Kippford, or the Scaur where he was born in 1848.
The village than consisted of only twenty thatched houses. Mr Crosbie’s father went to Liverpool in 1858; and at the age of thirteen the son became a pupil-teacher, and ultimately in 1871, was appointed headmaster and held this position in various important schools in Liverpool for a period of 44 years.
In 1889, he instituted a system of evening continuation classes, which proved notably successful, as many as 1100 adult students being in attendance for several years. – In conducting these classes a staff of fifty-five masters was engaged.
He was the pioneer in arranging classes for Liverpool police, and in introducing the tonic sol-fa system of teaching music into the Liverpool schools.
Mr Crosbie was always keenly interested in music, and visitors to Kippford, which developed as a popular holiday resort on the “Solway largely though his enthusiasm and continuous recommendation, will remember the open-air community singing which he used to conduct on fine summer evenings on an eminence outside the village overlooking the estuary of the Urr. The first school swimming gala held in Liverpool was organised by him and he was one of the founders of the Everton Football Club.
KIPPFORD AMENITIES
On his retirement he went to live in his native village, and took a great interest in the development and beautifying of the district.
Concerts which he organised many years ago provided money for the formation of the Jubilee Path from Kippford across the hill to Rockcliffe, a pleasant walk commanding beautiful views.
He was instrumental in getting a pier built at Kippford, which made possible the yachting facilities which are one of the features of the summer period at Kippford. Funds for a variety of other purposes were raised from time to time through his tireless organisation efforts.
Up to last year Mr Crosbie, though well over eighty years of age was to be seen cruising in all weathers in his sailing boat in the estuary. He contributed frequently to the Gallovidian Annual, his reminiscences forming a valuable and absorbing record of the life of “the district in early times, when schooners were still built at Kippford, and travel by sea in sailing vessels was still common.
He was the author of a “Guide to Kippford, Rockcliffe, and other Colvend Seaside Resorts,” which is a valuable aid to closer acquaintance with an exceptionally interesting district.
It is a coincidence that after efforts extending over several decades to get a public water supply for the village, the supply pipe of a County Council scheme had been laid to his residence just at the time of his death. Mr Crosbie was held in high respect by friends in all parts of the country and abroad. Mrs Crosbie died over a year ago. He is survived by two sons and four daughters. One of the daughters, Mrs Manson, wife of a director of Messrs Harrap, the publishers, was recently chairman of the London Galloway Association.
