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Archiver > DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY > 2001-08 > 0996934115


From: "Pat Jeffs" <>
Subject: Re: [D-G LIST] Birtwhistle2 - Gatehouse of Fleet
Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 15:08:35 +0100
References: <B7900734.770%ameba@btinternet.com>


Graham

I think I have an answer for you.

From the reprint of Pigot & Slater's Directories I have found, in the first
directory dated 1825-26:
John Birtwhistle, esq, Ardnall, Anwoth as one of the "resident gentry and
clergy".

In the description of the town: "the chief business and manufacture is
cotton spinning, extensively carried on here in the mills, formerly built by
Messrs Birtwhistle and Sons, now repaired and worked with much spirit by Mr.
Cliffe."

Mr Cliffe was Wastel Cliff of Nelson Street.

From the second directory in the book
"The chief business is the spinning and manufacture of cotton goods,
extensively carried on here, in the mills formerly buildt by Messrs
Birtwhistle and Sons, now reparied and worked with much spirit by Messrs
Davidson and Co., who have much enlarged the premises. Many families are
employed in the weaving of muslin, which goes to the Carlisle and Glasgow
markets."

At this point Mr Birtwhistle has disappeared from the gentry, but I have
found
James Kirkpatrick, stamp distributer and collector of taxes, Front Street.
He was also a ship owner.

The cotton mills in Gatehouse are now a museum which I visited several years
ago. The history of them was very well documented in the exhibition.

Since Anwoth is now a separate parish from Girthon, you may find more
details for the Birtwhistles there.

/cheers
Pat

----- Original Message -----
From: "Graham Clark" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 7:45 AM
Subject: [D-G LIST] Birtwhistle2 - Gatehouse of Fleet


Names: RAMAGE, STEWART, GIFFORD, GORDON, CREDIE, KIRKPATRICK and BIRTWHISTLE

Dear Listers,

Here is the second of the letters regarding the Birtwhistle family with the
Gatehouse/Dumfries/Kirkcudbright connections. There are fewer names
mentioned this time but more social commentary. Can anyone tell me where
Dundeuch is? I can't find it on maps. As before, if anyone can tell me who
the addressee was I'd appreciate it!

Regards,

Graham Clark
***********

Address:

Major Birtwhistle
32nd Regiment
Skipton
Yorkshire

Content:

Gatehouse 27th Feby 1839

My Dear Sir,

I am this morning in receipt of your much
esteemed favour of the 24th instant and your two other favors
from Canada which you allude to were also duly received and
the only apology for my not writing you to that part of the
world was because I had nothing particular to communicate
to you, and my knowledge that you were weekly getting the
Dumfries Courier in which the occurrences that could at
all be interesting to you as regards local news are more
circumstantially described than could be done in the compass
of even a regular series of letters incurring postage.

Your commission as regards Dundeuch shall be
immediately attended to, and from that short time which I have
had to consider as regards a proper and correct valuation
of what the annual rent should be I think to obtain that
through the knowledge and skill of Mr Ramage and whom
I may probably accompany when he goes there in order to
form an estimate of its value; the last time that I was at
Dundeuch was in 1810 when I accompanied you Uncle
Robert to it and over it all, and I remember that it
was then estimated to be worth £150" P. annum though I am
not sure but it was afterwards let for more than that sum.

There is a Land Surveyor who resides here and
whom I will get to go up and measure and make a plan of
it, and when the same is completed I will as you desire send to
Mr Robinson of Skipton. I am sorry that we are not to have
the pleasure of seeing you here at this time for I have been
expecting you to pop in upon us for sometime past from what
you said to Thomas when he had the pleasure of meeting you
in Liverpool, and who regretted he could have so little of
your company there. I will have occasion to be in both
Bradford and Leeds about the middle of April, and if you
propose to sojourn in Skipton till about that time I would
arrange to go a week or two sooner on purpose to go over
to Skipton and see you, I should like exceedingly to spend
a week with you at Skipton to talk over your family
matters and to see the place where your father and the other
members of your grandfathers family figured with such high
reputation and honour there would be much to enjoy and feast
the mind with were I to be there with you and to tell and be
told incidents within my recollection. It is 36 years next
month since I went from this to Skipton with the remains of your
late Aunt Mrs. Thomas B. who was one of the best ladies that
ever lived, she requested upon her death bed that I should ac-
company her remains to the place of interment and which your
Uncle Alex. complied with by taking me with him on that
mournful occassion. I had a letter from Avranches from your
Cousin in the month of December, and my only reason for my
not having written him since is just the apology which I
have given you that he gets the Dumfries paper which is far
better than any letter unless there be business in the question;
I am truly happy to hear from you that you have had advice
so recently that they still continue all well, please make my
best respects when you get there. I expect to be in Kirkudbt.
next week when I shall let all your friends know what
you have stated and that you are well, they will be like me
greatly disappointed that you do not find it convenient to come
and see us at this time. You would have observed by the Dumfries
Courier that the dreadful hurricane of the 7th Octo. had done very
great damage in Gatehouse as well as other places and I am
sorry to say that your property suffered very severely, some of
the houses entirely unroofed, and not one of them but what suffered
more or less. I have had slaters at them ever since and and has not
half finished the repairs, indeed some of the worst is un-
repairable, and it puzzles me what to do for the best. I cannot
say as yet what the expence will be but I fear it will not be short
of £70" & when done but imperfectly. I did not trouble Mr Alcock with
writing him about it but sent him a Dumfries Courier. When you are
in Skiptn you should speaking seriously to Mr Alcock about selling
the Houses. I have often written him the ruinous state they are in, the
poverty
of the tenants, and the impossibility of getting the rents, and I find it
always the longer the worse. I may take this opportunity to acquaint
you that Mr Stewart leaves Barharrow at Whitsunday first and it was
consequently recently to let. I was an offerer for it for my son James
and was flattered by Mr W. Gordon fro sometime that I would get a prefer-
-ence, and I had written also to Mr Alcock for his friendship in the matter
who
returned me a very polite reply, and saying that he should be glad that
my son would get it; but Mr Gordon in the end wrote me that it was let
to a Mr Gifford, and without giving me a chance to had in a second
offer as he had promised. I dined with D. Credie and Ramage yester
-day, and we, as an absent friend remembered you over our cup of punch;
and your letter arrived opportunely today. I am My Dear Sir
Yours always very truly Ja Kirpatrick

P.S. I had a letter from brother Robert a day or two go and him and family
were well. I had thought if you came to Gatehouse from Ireland you would
have stopped a few days with him in passing.

P.S. When you have finished reading the Dumfries Courier you might
put a new cover on it and send it to Avranches Dep. La Manche by
which means one paper would do you both.

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