Helensburgh Heritage
Helensburgh Heritage Trust
SATURDAY January 16 2010 was the 144th anniversary of the birth of aviation pioneer Percy Sinclair Pilcher, whose early experiments in gliding were undertaken in fields at Cardross.
Percy used the fields of the thriving Wallacetown and Auchensail Farms for his experiments with three different gliders between 1893 and 1896.
ONE of Helensburgh's most famous residents for almost 20 years had the unusual distinction of being both a sea captain and a successful novelist.
Captain (later Sir) David William Bone, Kt., C.B.E., LL.D., lived from 1915-34 at Underwood, 9 Lower Sutherland Crescent, and had an astonishing and varied career.
ONE of Glasgow’s best known landmarks is the Mercat Cross in the south east corner of the Merchant City – and it was the gift of an Arrochar couple.
William G.Black, CBE, LLD, FSA, JP, who was senior partner in a firm of city solicitors and was Deacon of the Trades House of Glasgow in 1916-17, presented the Cross in 1930 to replace a similar one which had been removed in 1659.
THE Kidstons of Ferniegair have lived in and been involved with Helensburgh since the 1830s, and were notable benefactors in many aspects of burgh life.
In one of the obituaries in the local paper it was said: "The name of Kidston is writ large in all the recreative and philanthropic institutions of our beautiful town."
Dagmar Florence Curjel, who lived at Daneholm, 37 Campbell Street, matriculated to study medicine at Glasgow's Queen Margaret College in 1909, and built up a glittering academic record.
IT is quite a journey from cycling around the town on behalf of the Helensburgh Gas Company to a senior post at the United Nations, but that is what happened to a lass from Shandon.
Margaret Gillatt Orr Allan, who left the burgh in 1925 and died in New York in 1982, finished her career as Head of Documents at the UN and retired in 1965, two years after she received the MBE.
A CARDROSS man who has spent most of his life in Canada is a proud holder of the highest honour of the International Metallographic Society and a renowned expert witness.
Dr Iain Le May, whose speed skater daughter Catriona is the only individual Canadian to win back to back Olympic gold medals, received the honour in 2005.