The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

SBW · Joined: 21 May 2014 Posts: 5 Location: New Zealand

Hello. I am a lay community researcher of a WW1 unit, the New Zealand Tunnelling Company. There were a number of men in the Tun Coy who had Scottish Next of Kin. I have listed the names of the Tunnellers below along with the name of town/place associated with their name. I would appreciate any help with identifying any NZ Tun Coy names which may be recorded on Scottish memorials. With many thanks for any help forum members can provide. Sue https://www.facebook.com/NZTunnellingCompany

List of Scottish NOK names in Tun Coy

LANARKSHIRE
4/1510 JOHNSTONE, John, Hamilton, Lanarkshire Scotland
4/1650 HUNTER, Thomas Biggar, Lanarkshire Scotland
37551 CASSIDY, John, Glen Dyke Head, Sholts, Lanarkshire Scotland
37642 CURRAN, Daniel Cleland, Lanarkshire, Scotland
47523 FINNIE, Thomas Canderdyke Head, Lanarkshire, Scotland
37656 HUTCHINSON, George Stonehouse, Lanarkshire, Scotland

GLASGOW
4/1292 LOCKHART, Robert Miller Langside Glasgow
4/1527 McCOMBE, Thomas Glasgow
4/1606 CAMERON, Allan Glasgow
21466 ROBB, John Pollockshields, Glasgow
37558 SMITH, John Baillieston, via Glasgow, Scotland
37611 ROURKE, James Baillieston, via Glasgow Scotland
37555 BROWN, James Longcroft, via Glasgow Scotland
37680 MORRIS, Thomas Walton Glasgow

MONTROSE
4/1381 VALENTINE, Alexander Montrose Scotland
4/1376 McLEAN, Kenneth Bruce Montrose, Scotland

AYSHIRE
21391 IRVINE, John Daldry Ayrshire Scotland
21424 SAMSON, John Old Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland
39686 DICK, James Reid Helenslea Cottage New Connock Ayshire Scotland

STIRLINGSHIRE
37466 FULTON, William Maxwell Camelon, Stirlingshire Scotland
37459 ROBERTSON, Robert Maxwell Redding, Stirlingshire, Scotland

OTHERS
4/1580 PRENTICE, John Roslyn Scotland
4/1345 EVANS, Pearce Tondu, Glamorganshire
4/1576 ORMISTON, William Hawick Scotland
ASC MITCHELL, Alexander Davis Ballmalloch Villa Kilsyth Scotland
21393 NICOL. John Dingwall, Ross-shire, Scotland
6/667 LAUCHLAN, John Wylie Paisley, Scotland
37492 WAUGH, Robert Gibbdun Cottage, Glasgow Rd Denny Scotland
37518 HESLIN, Patrick, Edinburgh
37494 McLEOD, John Lumsden, Scotland
37585 YOUNG, James Moffat, Scotland

37530 STEWART, William Aberdeen, Scotland
37547 TAYLOR, William Bridgend, Perth, Scotland
37559 HANTON, Alexander Rossie, Monhose, Forfarshire, Scotland
37645 FARMES, Erskine Dunfermline, Fifeshire, Scotland
49443 McINTOSH, William Gunn Hedgehope, Scotland
37649 MILL, Joseph Kirk, Antru, Dundee, Scotland (wife)

Adam Brown · Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:31 pm Post subject:

Hopefully we'll be able to match some of these names with ones on memorials.

Sholts will be Shotts, Daldry will be Dalry and Monhose will be Montrose.

The man from Glamorgan is Welsh by the way.

Thanks

Adam

David McNay · Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 9:32 pm Post subject:

Hi Sue,

I've had a brief look for the men listed from Lanarkshire and none of them are listed on the civic memorials for the areas they are listed as coming from. I haven't checked the memorials of churches, schools etc so can't say 100% that they aren't listed at all.

Regards,

David

SBW · Joined: 21 May 2014 Posts: 5 Location: New Zealand

Thanks for checking the Lanarkshire civic memorials David. Best, Sue

SBW · Joined: 21 May 2014 Posts: 5 Location: New Zealand

[quote="Adam Brown"]Hopefully we'll be able to match some of these names with ones on memorials.

Sholts will be Shotts, Daldry will be Dalry and Monhose will be Montrose.

The man from Glamorgan is Welsh by the way.

Thanks

Adam[/quote]

Thanks for the corrections Adam, much appreciated.

Kenneth Morrison · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 10:15 am Post subject:

Just checked a few names so far and have yet to find a casualty Confused

Is it possible to list those who are known to have died?
_________________
Ken

SBW · Joined: 21 May 2014 Posts: 5 Location: New Zealand

Hi Ken, thanks for looking into these names for me. Not one died while serving withe Tun Coy. In NZ, as well as the war dead, our memorials often list those who served. Post war, one died of suicide and one died from a work related accident in a coal mine.

DerekR · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 6:23 pm Post subject:

Sue,

Have you any other details on:

4/1576 ORMISTON, William Hawick Scotland

I can't find anything in the Hawick area for you.
_________________

Time but th' impression stronger makes, As streams their channels deeper wear.

SBW · Joined: 21 May 2014 Posts: 5 Location: New Zealand

Hi Derek. Thanks for looking into this. We might not find any info on memorials, but it would be great to build on NZ Tun/Scottish links. William's Next of Kin was his brother Walter Ormiston, from Hawick. Ormiston is noted as being born in Roxburgh, Scotland 17 Mar 1879. He had previous military service, I can't make out the number, 2? Garrison Artillery, transferred to Prison Service. You can access his file on NZ Archives http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ I can add a little more regarding a notable raid that Ormiston took part in, but apart from his file info I have no other information. Many thanks, Sue

apanderson · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 11:57 pm Post subject:

Hi SWB,

I realise it's been a few months since you posted your enquiry, but I have a theory about Sapper James Rourke, born Baillieston.

I'm trying to do a bit of research on Baillieston men and I 'think' I may have figured out some of his family connections.

I downloaded James' NZ Service Records and it mentions that he had a dependant - a niece, Miss Mary Rourke, daughter of his brother. His parents were John and Ann Rourke, both born Ireland, both deceased at the time he attested (4th January 1917).

I can only find one Census record of a Rourke family living in Baillieston (Old Monkland Western District) in 1901.
Details as follows: (Ancestry transcription)

Living at Hunter’s Land, Main Street, Old Monkland Western District
John Rourke, age 40, Coal Miner, born c1861, Old Monkland
Catherine Rourke, age 36, born c1865, Tollcross
Children Owen Rourke, age 8, Scholar, born c1893, Old Monkland
John Rourke, age 7, Scholar, born c1894, Old Monkland
Mary Rourke, age 5, Scholar, born c1896, Old Monkland
Michael Murty?, age 14, Coalpit Head Marker, born c1887, Tollcross

I think James and John Rourke were brothers.

CWGC/SNWM:
John Rourke
Highland Light Infantry, 12th Battalion
No: 18495
Date of Death: 8th November 1915
Additional Information: Born Old Monkland
Commemorated: Loos Memorial, Panel 108 to 112

SDGW:
John Rourke, Private, Highland Light Infantry, 12th (Service) Battalion, No. 18495
Born Old Monkland. Enlisted Baillieston. Killed in action 8th November 1915.

Mary Rourke, age (approx) 5, in 1901, would be (aprox) 24 in 1920 and I think I might have found her sailing aboard S.S. Mamari(3rd Class) to Port Chalmers, New Zealand with the intention of making NZ her permanent place of residence.

She is listed on her own, her occupation, a Confectioner's Assistant.

Amongst James' Service Records, his death is recorded as being "Accidentally killed in Coal Mine at Kaitangata"on 7th October 1941, buried Kaitangata Northern Cemetery, Lot 18, Block 10.

So .... my theory is that Mary sailed to New Zealand to be with her uncle James. Her father John had been killed in 1915. Maybe her mother had re-married and there was 'strife', or she had died?

I searched for a death for a Catherine Rourke but the only one I could find was:
Catherine Rourke, age 50, Single, General Hawker, died 31st July 1915 of TB at Hamilton Combination Poorhouse (usual residence 14 Grammar School Square, Hamilton.
Daughter of Charles Rourke, Coal Miner and Ann Rourke nee McMahon (both deceased).
The Informant was a Charles Kellar(?), Steward.

The informant, not being a relative, may not have had the correct details of this Catherine's parentage or her age as there's around 10 years of a difference between her age on the 1901 Census transcription and her death certificate.

She 'could' also have been John's widow and that was also unknown to the Steward.

I also searched for a marriage, but not knowing Catherine's maiden name (to which she could have reverted to), I couldn't find anything.

If (and it's a BIG if) the above turns out to be correct, then I would think it's highly unlikely if James Rourke would be listed on any memorials here if he left the country c1911

I will add a message on your Facebook page with a link back here.

Anne Smile