Wellcroft House Helensburgh

[hendog]

I am hoping somebody can confirm for me that Wellcroft House and 80 John Street, Helensburgh are one and the same place. I have info placing my wife's g aunt Jean Dougall MacDonald at "80 John Street, Helensburgh" and at "Wellcroft, Helensburgh". I think these are the same places i.e. there is a house called Wellcroft at 80 John Street, Helensburgh but would be grateful if someone might be able to confirm this? Have found some stuff on web but contradictory.
I believe that she lived there during the 1940's and 50's and probably into the 60's, possibly with her husband Alexander, and at sometime her sister Margaret (Dougall?) and in the early 1950's her sister Elizabeth Johnstone McNicol.
Any info on the house and\or its residents during the 1940's to 60's or help on how I could find out more gratefully  received.
All the best and festive wishes   
Hendog

[tidybooks]

Hi Hendog,

Googled and found a house called Wellcroft, in Helensburgh, on a "for sale" ad, it was not in John Street.
Here is a link to advert, hope this helps.

http://www.look4aproperty.com/property/01426158

Tom

[hendog]

Thanks for this Tom,
This is why I am confused. I too have found this house listed as Wellcroft but obviously at 11 Glasgow Street and 115 Princes Street West, not at the 80 John Street address. However I also ended up finding an "Application for membership to Helensburgh Cricket & Rugby Football Club" with applications to be forwarded to the Secretary, J Allan Carrick,. Wellcroft, 80 John Street, Helensburgh G84 9JZ  at www.helensburghrfc.co.uk/pdfs/HC&RFC%20DOC_0001.pdf.
I know that Jean Dougall Macdonald lived at Wellcroft, Helensburgh although I do not have a street address and I know her widowed sister Elizabeth died aged 67 at 80 John Street, Helensburgh. I had assumed Elizabeth was living with her sister at the time and therefore Wellcroft and 80 John Street were one and the same place but now I am confused?
I guess at some stage I need to check the electoral roll for Helensburgh for Jean etc at 11 Glasgow Street\115 Princes Street West and 80 John Street to confirm all this. I can then hopefully figure out how long they lived there. Jean Dougall MacDonald (nee Dougall) had a furriers in Glasgow at 342-344 Sauchiehall Street from at least 1937 through to the late sixties possibly early seventies. You can see a photo of the shop on on the Virtual Mitchell site www.mitchelllibrary.org/.
Anyways thanks again for your help.
All the best
John

[tidybooks]

Hi Hendog,

Have you tried contacting secretary for the rugby club, I know it is 5 years out of date, but maybe he still stays there.

He may have named his house Wellcroft recently, think you only have to register with Post Office or Royal Mail etc. I am not sure if limited to 1 example of Wellcroft per town, there may have been more.

Good Luck,

Tom

[Istrice]

Hi John,

I have just referred to the Helensburgh Directory for 1899, published in July that year, and can confirm that the address for Wellcroft House is 80 John Street (Upper), Helensburgh.  The owner/occupier is given as a John Rennie.

In addition to this, the names of two other properties in the town are given as plain "Wellcroft" (note - No "House").  The addresses of these dwellings are given as 11 Glasgow Street, and 115 Princes Street (West) - otherwise known today as West Princes Street.

You may find the following link of use as not only does it include the above directory, but another 640+ similar directories covering different years for many areas in Scotland, notably Glasgow and other large towns, Burghs, and Counties

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=collection%3Ascottishdirectories

Hope this is helps resolve your puzzle.


Regards,

Istrice


PS, Helensburgh was moved into Argyll and Bute during the 1990's

[hendog]

Hi Istrice,

Thanks for this and the link. Lots of potentially interesting stuff there. What you found confirms what I believed. I wonder if the two buildings were originally connected in some way. eg. Wellcroft House and possibly a Wellcroft farm prior to the urbanisation of Helensburgh.
Thanks for taking the time to get in touch
All the best.
John

[g forgeron]

Hi Hendog, just browsing rootschat and came across your query about Wellcroft in Helensburgh. This house sits on the corner of Glasgow street and West Princes street, there may have been another, but I can not see someone duplicating the name of a private house.

After the Clydebank Blitz - 13 & 14 March 1941- my grandfather was evacuated to Helensburgh and lived in Wellcroft house for few months. I have a letter in which he praises the owners for putting him up and I quote " within an hour I had been bathed fed and put in to miss Campbell's own bed, for which I thank God"

I have been told it was owned by two spinster ladies, the Misses Campbell at that time. However that information may not be true

I visited it a few years ago but it has now been split up into I think  four flats

[jrskye]

The photo is not of Wellcroft House at 80 John Street, but of the house called Wellcroft at 11 Glasgow Street. John Rennie, who lived at Wellcroft House until his death in 1937, was a second cousin to my grandfather. I've visited his house. Here's a fairly recent photo of it.

[Arthur Macdonald]

Hi, I found this old thread whilst looking for something else. Jean Dougall Macdonald was my later fathers step mother and i know very little about her or even my grandfather (Alexander). Other than the furrier shop. Any information would be welcome. Arthur Macdonald.