Introduction
It was back in 2013, with the centenary of World War 1 fast approaching, that I began to take an interest in the names on Wigtown’s War Memorial. With the phrase, “We Will Remember Them” in my mind, I was curious to know some of the background of these 54 men who had given their lives long ago. When I found that little (or nothing) was known about a good many of them I decided to find out for myself.
Before very long I started coming across names of others from the town who had gone off to war. I wondered how many more there could be; what had happened to them; where did they live. I was fortunate enough to visit Gatehouse of Fleet to see the exhibition about those from the town who had served their country and bought the book, researched and written by Margaret Wright (“Those From Gatehouse and District Who Served in World War 1”), and decided that it would provide a brilliant template for the work I was considering. As with Margaret, I want to avoid the details of battles and military structures and concentrate on placing the men and women who served their country in the Wigtown community with their families – all who would be affected by the War.
The War Memorial, the Rolls of Honour for the Bladnoch Creamery and United Free Church provided a basis for identifying individuals as well as reports in the Galloway Gazette and Wigtownshire Free Press. Then, using Ancestry and Scotland’s People databases I was able to fill in family background and military records. Information on individuals is presented in data form – I have kept narratives to a minimum. It is for the reader to draw out individual stories from the facts provided: and there are some intriguing pictures to be drawn!
At the time of writing I have been able to provide background, some in depth and some more sketchy, on 250 individuals. But I know there must be many more: I have a further 60 names where I have yet to identify military service … and more crop up all the time. So, of course, the list will soon be out of date. Equally I am sure there are details I haven’t spotted and I’m pretty sure I will have made some errors. So additions or corrections are always welcome.
Mike Morley
May 2019
The information used in this document has come from many different sources. Information from each source type has been presented in a different colour.
Births and Marriages. Scottish Records are taken from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, in the main, and are signified by GRoS (General Register of Scotland). English and Welsh records are taken from Ancestry.co.uk.
Census Information. For the most part I have used Ancestry for census information. This is mainly because Ancestry can be accessed for free in your local Library and can be a vital source of census data for England and Wales from 1841 to 1911 and for sufficient summary data for Scotland up to 1901. For Scotland’s 1911 census you need to access Scotlands People, for which a small fee is charged for each record.
Military Records. For British soldiers Ancestry, once again, provides a useful source. Around about a half of all Army records were destroyed in the WW2 Blitz but Medal Index cards and Medal Rolls can still be obtained. Other resources on Ancestry include:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission. A database of all who died in two World Wars as a result of military conflict. www.cwg.org.
Gravestones. Stones in Machars kirkyards have been recorded by the late Jock Birchman and can be accessed in the Library. A useful source of biographical information and for identifying individuals who served.
Newspapers. The Galloway Gazette and Wigtownshire Free Press provide an excellent source of information. The Free Press is indexed. Both can be read via the microfiche in the Library. Most of the photographs I have found have been in these newspapers but bear in mind that the photos are over 100 years old and the microfiche versions are not the clearest!
Other Sources of Information. The internet gives you access to school and university rolls of honour. Local history books can also provide a valuable resource.
| ADAMS, John |
| AIRD, Robert |
| ALISON, William |
| ANDERSON, George Brown |
| ANDERSON, Hugh |
| ANDERSON, James Alexander |
| ANDERSON, James F |
| ARMSTRONG, John |
| BARR, Alexander |
| BAXTER, John |
| BELL, Henry |
| BELL, Henry |
| BENNETT, Alexander |
| BLACK, John |
| BLACK, William McHaffie |
| BOYD, Charles |
| BOYD, David A |
| BOYD, James |
| BOYD, Robert |
| BRIGGS, Abel |
| BRIGGS, Andrew |
| BRIGGS, James |
| BRIGGS, John |
| BROADFOOT, Alexander |
| BROADFOOT, William Turner |
| BROCK, James |
| BURNS, Michael |
| BURNS, Owen |
| CAMPBELL, James |
| CAMPBELL, Samuel |
| CHRISTIE, Bruce |
| CHRISTIE, John Kelly |
| CLARK, Edward |
| CLARK, Joseph |
| CLARK, Thomas |
| COBURN (COCKBURN), John |
| COCKBAIN, Frank William |
| CONNELL, Andrew Dempster |
| CONNELL, David |
| COPLAND, Hugh |
| COPLAND, Robert Muirhead |
| COSKER, Angus |
| COURT, Peter |
| CROMIE, Thomas |
| CULLEN, Alfred |
| DAVI(E)S, John |
| DAVI(E)S, Mary Frances Cunningham |
| DICKIE, John |
| DICKIE, William |
| DOUGLAS, Robert |
| DRYSDALE, Charles |
| DRYSDALE, David |
| DRYSDALE, William |
| DUNCAN, Harry |
| DUNCAN, W |
| EDGAR, John Maxwell |
| EDWARDS, John |
| EDWARDS, William Thomas |
| ELDER, William |
| EWING, Alfred |
| EWING, John |
| FALLACE, John Andrew |
| FINNIGAN, Archibald |
| FINNINGHAM, James |
| FLEMING, (or ROSS) James |
| FLYNN, John |
| Rev FORDYCE, James H |
| GIBSON, Charles Lindsay |
| GILMOUR, James Douglas |
| GILMOUR, John |
| GILMOUR, Peter |
| GOW, John Murray |
| GRAY, John James |
| GRIFFIN, Andrew |
| GRIFFIN, George Adair |
| GRIFFIN, John |
| GRIFFIN, Robert Alexander |
| GRIFFIN, Robert Muir |
| HALE, Alfred Neal |
| HALE, Edward James |
| HANNAH, Alex |
| HARGR(E)AVES, James |
| HARVEY, Alexander |
| HARVEY, Daniel |
| HARVEY, John |
| HAUGH, Robert |
| HILL, John |
| HODGSON, Charles |
| HOGG, Thomas |
| HORNER, Adam |
| HORNER, Hugh |
| HUGHAN, Alexander Walker |
| HUGHES, Robert Higgins |
| INNES, William John |
| IRVINE, William |
| JAMIESON, William |
| JAMISON, Hugh |
| JOHNSTONE, William |
| KELLIE, David |
| KELLY, Charles |
| KELLY, James Halbert Dalrymple |
| KELLY, William J |
| KENNEDY, Francis William |
| KENNEDY, John |
| KENNEDY, Leslie |
| KER(R), James William Eric Goldie |
| KERR, James |
| KILPATRICK, Edward |
| KILPATRICK, William |
| KILTIE, David |
| KILTIE, Robert |
| KILTIE, Robert |
| KNOWLES, Alexander |
| KNOWLES, Robert William |
| KNOWLES, Robert |
| LANDERS, Charles |
| LANDERS, James |
| LAURIE, Alexander |
| LAURIE, Thomas |
| LAURIE, William |
| LAWSON, Gavin |
| LAWSON, George |
| LAWSON, Robert |
| LEES, Samuel |
| LILICO, William |
| LINDSAY, Peter |
| LOAN, James |
| LOVE, Alexander |
| LOVE, James |
| MALONE, Blain |
| MALONE, David |
| MALONE, James |
| MALONE, Robert |
| MCADAM, Andrew |
| MCCASKIE, David |
| MCCASKIE, Thomas |
| MCCHEYNE, Thomas |
| MCCLELLAND, Alexander |
| MCCLELLAND, David Smart |
| MCCLELLAND, Ernest |
| MCCLELLAND, John |
| MCCLELLAND, Norman |
| MCCLELLAND, Thomas |
| MCCLELLAND, Wilfred |
| MCCLURG or MCLURG, William |
| MCCONNELL, William |
| MCCOURT, George |
| MCCREDIE, Alexander |
| MCCREDIE, Arthur |
| MCCREDIE, James |
| MCCUBBIN, William |
| MCCULLOCH, James |
| MCCULLOCH, William |
| MCCULLOCH, William |
| MCDOWALL, John |
| MCGAW, Alexander |
| MCGAW, David |
| MCGAW, William |
| MCGEOCH, Martin |
| MCGINN, Andrew S |
| MCGINN, Peter Carroll |
| MCGOWAN, Alexander |
| MCGOWAN, John |
| MCGOWAN, Thomas |
| MCGOWAN, William |
| MCGUFFIE, Alexander |
| MCGUFFIE, Edward John |
| MCGUFFIE, Louis |
| MCGUFFIE, Robert |
| MCGUFFIE, Thomas |
| MCGUFFIE, Thomas |
| MCHARRIE, John |
| MCKEAND, Andrew |
| MCKEAND, Peter Alexander |
| MCKEAND, William Ian |
| MCKIE, William John Scott |
| MCKINNA, Charles McBride |
| MCKIRDY, James |
| MCLORIE, Andrew Briggs |
| MCMASTER, James |
| MCMILLAN, Isaac |
| MCMILLAN, James |
| MCMILLAN, John Hunt |
| MCMURRAY, David Simpson |
| MCMURRAY, John |
| MCNEIL, James |
| MCNEILLIE, James Stuart |
| MCROBERT, James |
| MCROBERT, Joseph |
| MCROBERTS, Samuel |
| MCVEA, William Becom |
| MELVIN, Charlie |
| MILROY, James |
| MUIR, Hugh |
| MUIR, Robert Erskine |
| MURCHIE, David |
| MURRAY, John Herbert |
| MURRAY, Robert |
| Nay, David |
| NAY, Robert |
| NAY, William |
| NEIL, Hugh |
| NICOL, William |
| NIMMO, John |
| NIMMO, John Kennedy |
| NIMMO, Thomas |
| PARK, Andrew |
| PATON, William |
| PAXTON, George |
| POLLOCK, Hume |
| RANKIN(E), Thomas |
| RICHMOND, James Fleming |
| RICHMOND, Paul Henry |
| RICHMOND, Wesley William |
| RODGER, Edward |
| ROLFE, Stanley Taverner |
| RONNIE (RONEY), William |
| ROSS, John Alexander |
| SANDFORD, Matthew |
| SCOTT, Thomas McWalter |
| SKIMMING, Keith |
| SMITH, John |
| SMITH, William |
| SPROUL, William Jardine |
| STIRLING, John |
| STRACHAN, Robert |
| TAIT, William |
| TEMPLETON, Robert |
| TENNANT, Alexander Paterson |
| THOMSON, David |
| THOMSON, James |
| THOMSON, Robert Kemp |
| THOMSON, William |
| TODD, Arthur Robert |
| TODD, George Frederick |
| TODD, Hugh Comrie |
| TODD, James |
| TODD, Norman |
| TODD, William Alexander |
| TURNER, William John |
| WADDELL, Robert |
| WALKER, James |
| WALKER, James Edgar |
| WALKER, Mary Broadfoot |
| WALKER, William |
| WALLACE, James |
| WALLACE, James |
| WALLACE, John (Jack) |
| WALLS, David |
| WALLS (or Highet), William |
| WATT, Harry Stewart |
| WHITESIDE, James |
| WILSON, David McNaught |
| WOOD, William Davies Richard |