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Hame and Hearth: Scottish Family Research Service

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Hame and Hearth: Scottish Family Research Service

Welcome to 'Hame and Hearth', we provide genealogy services, including family history and research.

We have a passion for helping folk discover their ancestors, family history and local heritage.

10/11/2025

As Remembrance Sunday draws to a close, I thought it appropriate to mention the Commonwealth War Graves at St Brandon's, Inverboyndie.

There are seven war graves in total listed.

There are two graves commemorating those who gave their lives during World War Two.

Herbert John Green, Lieutenant Colonel Royal Army Medical Corp. He died 27 Dec 1946, aged 39.

Victor Allison, Sergeant 235 Squadron, Royal Air Force. He died 8 May 1940, aged 23 years. He was from St Albans, Herts.

Five of the graves are commemorating those who gave their lives during World War One.

James Milne, Corporal, Royal Army Medical Corp. Died 17 Nov 1918, aged 26 years old.

Henry Ritchie, Deckhand, Royal Navy Reserve. Served on HM Drifter 'Protect'. Died 16 March 1917, aged 59 years old.

James Ritchie, Deckhand, Royal Navy Reserve. Served on HMS 'Attentive III'. Died 31 March 1917.

J. H. Ritchie (James Henry), Deckhand, Royal Navy Reserve. Served on HM Drifter 'W. Elliott'. Died 15 Feb 1918 in the Straits of Dover. The family gravestone also commemorates his father, Alexander Ritchie, who served on HMS 'Barbara Cowie' as a Deckhand with the Royal Navy Reserve. He died on the 5th Oct 1916, at Rosslare, Ireland. Aged 50. He has a grave or is commemorated at Blackwater (Killila) South West Ireland.

The last grave I want to give special mention to, it's one of those graves with just gives an initial, not a first name. I thought that the least I could do was give the person their full name, so I checked on the CWGC site for details, but only 'F' was listed. The site gave the Petty Officer's father's details so I searched further for it on Ancestry - the UK, Royal Navy Grave Roll, 1914 - 1919. The grave commemorates a woman, Florence Hayes, Petty Officer, Stoker of the Royal Navy. She served on HMS 'Dahlia'. She died on the 4 Sept 1915 as a direct result of enemy action. Florence was born in 1880, Rosscarbery, Cork Ireland.

Details of all their service numbers and pictures of their graves can be found on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site.

We will remember them.

02/11/2025

Here's a wee follow-up on St Brandon's at Inverboyndie - it was listed in the Aberdeenshire Open Doors Weekend in September.

There's now a sign by the side entrance gate which gives details of the work carried out. There is some information about the gravestones and also some details of Banffshire folk who travelled abroad, to places such as Demerara (Guyana) and New Zealand.

During my visit I only had time to find the grave for the Milne family, which the sign mentions. It's a great example of how a monument inscription can gives us small pieces of important information about a person, which can then be built upon. For example the inscription only gives a small amount detail of Lt. Col Alexander Milne, however from there it is fairly straightforward to gather more information on his life and army career.

30/07/2025

Looking forward to this event tomorrow evening! It's been great to see the preservation and levels of registration this past wee while and I'm looking forward to learning more about the project.

14/07/2025

My latest blog is about the history of St Brandon's Kirk, at Inverboyndie. It's also known as the "Boyndie, Old Parish Church". https://hameandhearth.com/blog/st-brandons-kirk-inverboyndie-banffshire/

It's recently had some conservation work carried out - if you would like to hear more detail about the conservation - check out this event in the poster!

29/05/2025

'Banff at War' exhibition at Banff Castle Community Centre - only two days left to visit this fantastic collection of information and exhibits - rationing, recipes, spies, Boyndie Aerodrome, reports of drunken coos, opportunity for a selfie of a life size Mr Winston Churchill ... and lots more!
If you are in the area, it's well worth making the time to pay a visit, I loved it, learned a lot and I can recommend popping in for a bite to eat at the Garden House Cafe too.

Check out the Banff Castle Community Centre for all the details.

05/05/2025

It's International Day of the Midwife today and to mark it, I looked through my database for Aberdeen women who served with the Scottish Women's Hospital, who were also midwives.
Jane Corbett Barker (1875-1948) was born in Aberdeen, her father was a classics master at Chanonry School, Old Aberdeen. Her whole extended family were well known, strong, medical women. Jane followed in their footsteps by qualifying as a midwife at the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin in 1896, and enrolled in the newly formed Midwives Roll for Scotland in 1916, she was number 46.

In 1912, she added to her qualification by passing exams in Sanitary Science. The theme of the International Day of the Midwife, 2025, is "Critical in Every Crisis". Jane played her part by volunteering with the Scottish Women's Hospital as a Sanitary Inspector for the tented hospital of the 'America Unit' based at Lake Ostrovo, Macedonia, during World War One. Not an easy task, by any means.

I wish I had been able to track down a photo of Jane, unfortunately no luck so far, so I'll leave you with a photo of the tented hospital where she was stationed.

18/03/2025

Happy St Patrick's Day!

I hope everyone has been having a lovely day celebrating St Patrick Day!
To help mark the day and also to celebrate Women's History Month I've been checking my notes on the women who volunteered with the Scottish Women's Hospital (SWH) to see how many Irish folk I could identify so far.
There were over 1000 volunteers from throughout the UK and overseas, and so far I have identified 9 Irish women who were doctors, nurses and an ambulance driver.
I am sure there were more, I just haven't found them yet. As is the usual case, the doctors always attracted the most historic coverage, I have found two -Dr (Anne) Louise McIlroy (1874 -1968) and Dr Dorothy Cochrane Logan.
Dr McIlroy was the CMO of the Girton & Newnham unit between May 1915 until October 1919. The unit was based in Troyes, France and then moved to accompany the French Army in Salonika, Serbia. After the war she continued her career in gynaecologist and obstetrics. She had a number of senior posts, which have been well documented and was offered Fellowship of the British Council of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. She had a practice in Harley Street, London.

Dr D.C. Logan worked at Royaumont for a couple of months before being dismissed by the CMO Dr Ivens. Dr Logan went on to be an accomplished Harley Street gynaecologist also.

Does anyone recognise any of the names below :-
Miss Ellie Ballesty (nurse)
Miss Margaret Burke (nurse)
Miss Molly I Gordon (nurse) - I think her nickname may have been 'Tibby'
Miss Margaret May Hiney ( nurse)
Miss Catherine O'Rorke (nurse)
Miss Eveleen Gartlan (chauffeur/ambulance driver)

Miss Hiney served in Serbia July 1915 to Feb 1916. She was a former Matron at Craig House in Edinburgh before she volunteered with the SWH.
Miss O'Rorke volunteered for two tours of the SWH in Serbia. After the SWH was shut down late 1919, she worked for the American Mission in Serbia and then in 1921 she joined Dr Katherine Macphail's Serbian Children's Hospital in Belgrade - she was based there until she passed away in 1931.

Brave and courageous women, each and every one!

01/03/2025

Happy St David's Day!

To help mark the day I checked my notes on all the women who volunteered the Scottish Women's Hospital (SWH) to see how many Welsh folk I could identify. There were over 1000 volunteers from throughout the UK, and so far I have identified 14 Welsh women who were doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, cooks and orderlies.
I am sure there were more, I just can name them yet. As is the usual case, the doctors always attracted the most historic coverage, I have found two - Dr Mary Elizabeth Eppynt-Phillips and Dr Eleanor M Hodson.
Does anyone recognise some of the names below :-
Miss Florence Missouri Caton (nurse)
Miss Evelyn Margaret Abbot (nurse)
Miss Gladys Margaret Powell Jones (ambulance driver)
Miss Mathilde Augusta Lilian Laloe (cook & administrator)
Miss Helen Beveridge (orderly)

Brave and courageous women, each and every one!

Dr Mary Elizabeth Eppynt-Phillips while serving in a Corsican SWH unit where they looked after the many Serbian refugees (Sor - Serbian Archives of Medicine 2018 146(9-10))

14/02/2025

Happy Valentines Day!

If your in the mood for an epic love story from World War One, check out my latest blog and the life and love of Chapel of Garioch & Inverurie born nurse - Agnes 'Nancy' Mann ...

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