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Recollections Blackfriars Street Edinburgh Old Town |
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Recollections 1. Matilda Martin (née Tillie Kelly) Coventry, Warwickshire, England |
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Thank you to Matilda who wrote: |
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Home "I was born in 1934 at number 53 Blackfriars Street. This is the number of the stair that the Crawfords lived at. My brother remembers them well as he is slightly older than me. They modernised the buildings into swanky flats, In that tenement, the front and back flats were on two different levels, so it was completely demolished and rebuilt, I think in the 1960s. The new building fitted in very nicely to fit in with the old." School "My family name is Kelly. My two brothers, Francis and Hughie attended St. Ann's School and then St. Patrick's, then Hughie went on to St. Anthony's. My sister Nan and I attended St. Ann's and then St.Thomas Aquina's." Games "The children of the two stairs, Nos 53 and 59 always played together and didn't need anyone else. There were so many of us, we could always make up two teams for a game of rounders or kick the can. I well remember the rivalry with the opposition from the Waverley Buildings for bonfire night. This was definitely held on Victoria Monday - much more sensible as the weather was better at that time of year." Neighbours "The families who lived in the two stairs at that time were: - The Ogilvies - The Crawfords - The Gows - The Farrels - The Murrays - The O'Neils - The Fyfes - The Carrachers - The Tanseys - The Coles - The other Kelly family - Pat, Michael and Tommy." Bob Henderson "With regards to Bob Henderson, I feel sure he must know my brother Hughie who was born in 1930 and attended the same schools as Bob and also went ballroom dancing in the venues that Bob mentioned ." Leaving Blackfriars Street "We moved to Craigmillar in 1948. I was married there, as was Hughie. The whole family moved to Coventry in 1964 where we still live." Matilda Martin (née Tillie Kelly), Coventry, Warwickshire, England: 2 emails, March 7, 2011 |
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Recollections 2. Val Brown (née Kane) Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Val Brown who wrote: |
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Family "My family lived at 45 Blackfriars Street. My mother, Emily Kane, was born in 1927 and lived in Blackie, as she called it, for generations with her grandfather Henry Duke living there and two of her three sisters living in the same stair, No 45." Stories "My mother was a great story-teller. She regaled me with hilarious stories of the day-to-day life in Blackie. I'd love to share some of the stories she told me, and see if there is anyone who remembers her. I beleive the Kane family from Blackie were quite a bunch!" Val Brown, née Kane, Edinburgh: Message posted in EdinPhoto guestbook: June 19, 2011 |
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Recollections 2. Reply 1. Peter Stubbs Edinburgh |
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Hi Val. Thanks for your message. If you'd like to send me an email, telling me some of your mother's stories of life at 'Blackie', I could add them to this page on the web site. Hi Val: Thank you for sending me the email letting me know that: - you've been away in Ireland for the past year. - you are now back in Edinburgh continuing your family history research. I now know your email address, and have sent you a reply to you, giving you Ewan Irvine's email address. |
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Recollections 2. Reply 2. Ewan Irvine |
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Hello again Val. I received a message from Ewan Irvine today. He has been researching Blackfriars Street and would like to contact you. If you read this, please email me, then I'll pass on your email address to Ewan. Thank you. |
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Ewan added: My Great Grandparents "My great grandparents, Thomas and Margaret McCorkindale stayed at 45 Blackfriars Street. - They had two daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth. - I think there was also a son who died at the age of 9 months. Thomas then died and within a few months and his wife Margaret remarried (new surname, McEwan). They had a son, Bernard, then Margaret died a year or two later." Ewan Irvine |
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Recollections 2. Reply 3. Peter Stubbs Edinburgh |
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Hi Val: Thank you for sending me the email letting me know that: - you've been away in Ireland for the past year. - you are now back in Edinburgh continuing your family history research. I now know your email address, and have sent you a reply to you, giving you Ewan Irvine's email address. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: March 2, 2012: updated March 4, 2012 |
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Recollections 3. Noreen McNeil (née McKinley) Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Noreen McNeill (née McKinley) for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guest book. Noreen wrote |
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The McKinley Family "Can anyone remember my family, the McKinleys, from Blackfriars Street? My Grandfather, Billy McKinley and his many brothers and sister grew up there. He and my Grandmother, Norah (née Davidson) moved to Tron Square where my mum, Kitty, Uncle Terry and Auntie Pat grew up. I think they moved to Lauriston Place after that. Any memories would be welcome." Noreen McNeill (née McKinley, Edinburgh. Message posted in EdinPhoto Guestbook, August 16, 2011. |
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Recollections 4. Catherine Nicol (née Brooke) Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Catherine Nicol (née Brooke)) for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guest book, and for following up with an email to me. |
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Catherine wrote The Brooke Family "My father, Charles Arthur Brooke, was born in Blackfriars Street on 21 April 1926. I believe that he was one of nine children born to Charles Arthur and Catherine Brown, including two who died as infants. Three are still living. Does anybody remember my father or any other member of his family? I know that my Great Grandmother also lived in the street. |
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Catherine added My Father "My father died in his 60s after many years of ill health. Being the second eldest of a large family he often went without and did not even have a bed until he went into the army in April 1944. It was a hard life. He and my aunt documented several of their experiences in a book which I treasure. |
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Catherine Nicol
(née Brooke), Edinburgh. |
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Reply to Catherine If you remember anything about Blackfriars Street, or the Brooke family that lived there and would like to send a message to Catherine, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to Catherine. Thank you. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 16, 2012 |
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Recollections 5. Val Brown |
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Thank you to Val Brown for sending me the photograph above. Val wrote: |
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Photo "Here is a photo taken in Blackfriars Street by my uncle William Kane. I'm fairly sure it was taken in the early 1940s, judging by the age of my mother who was born in 1927 and her nephew who was born in the mid-1930s." Family "This photo includes my mother Emily Kane 4th standing from left to right next to her brother Henry Kane. Another sister Elizabeth Kane is sitting centre 3rd from left, and lastly my mothers nephew, James Lee (drinking from a cup)." Neighbours "I believe the rest of the people in the photo are from Blackfriars Street but I cannot remember their names. I'd be interested to know if anyone recognizes their family members in the photo." Val Brown: February 24, 2013 |
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Recollections 6. Ellen Thomson (née Cole) Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Ellen Thomson for posting a message in the EdinPhoto guestbook. Ellen wrote: |
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James Cole "My dad, James Cole, lived in Blackfriars Street. He had a sister, Anne, and a brother, Freddy. They all went to St Pat's school. My dad, sadly, passed away in 2002, but told us stories of 'Blackie'. It's nice to see people remembering the past. I'd love to hear from anybody who knew my dad." Ellen Thomson (née Cole): Message posted in EdinPhoto Guestbook: April 28, 2013 |
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Recollections 7. Matilda Martin |
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Thank you to Matilda Martin who read Ellen Thomson's comments in Recollections 6 above and wrote: |
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The Cole Family "Ellen Thomson above enquires about her late father, James Cole, who lived in Blackfriars Street. My brother and I remember the family well. We all played to-gether in the street. I have a photograph of Ellen's Grandmother and Auntie Annie taken in front of the stair they lived in. I would be happy to let her have the photo if you you could put her in touch with me." Ellen Thomson (née Cole): April 28, 2013 |
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I've now passed on Ellen Thomson's email address to Matilda Martin. I hope she will be able to get in touch with Ellen to let her know about the photo. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 9, 2013 |
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Recollections 8. James Rafferty |
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I've now received two messages about Blackfriars Street in one day! Here is the second. It comes from James Rafferty who posted this question in the EdinPhoto guest book: |
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Margaret Sinclair "Can anyone from Blackfriars Street tell me the number of the stair that Margaret Sinclair stayed at, while living in Blackfriars Street?"
James Rafferty, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland: |
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Reply to James? If you'd like to send a reply to James, please click on the Guestbook link at the top of any page on this site, then go to the message that he posted today, and you should find an 'email link' at the bottom of his message that you can click on to send an email to him. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 9, 2013 |
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Recollections 9. Ronnie Murphy West Yorkshire, England |
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Ronnie Murphy wrote: |
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Murphy Family "I'm looking for info on my parents: - My dad was Edward William Murphy,. He was born at No. 5, Blackfriars Street. - His mother was Agnes Knox Murphy Siddons Family "When he married my mother in 1927: - My dad lived at No.13 Blackfriars Street - My mother, Annie, lived at No.53, Blackfriars Street. - Her parents were John and Annie Siddons I can find no trace of the Siddons on any genealogy sites. i would really appreciate any help Ronnie Murphy, West Yorkshire, England: March 4, 2014 |
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Reply to Ronnie? If you'd like to send a reply to Ronnie, please email me, then I'll pass on his email address to you. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 9, 2013 |
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Recollections 10. Matilda Martin Coventry, West Midlands, England |
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Matilda Martin wrote: |
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Dickson's Close "When my brother and I were children in the 1930s, we lived in Blackfriars Street, and used to play in Dickson's Close." Playground "At the top end of the Dickson's Close, there was what looked like a playground which overlooked the bottom half of the close. We learned to ride our bikes there. We were told by the older generation that the playground belonged to a school which was there at one time. We can't find any reference anywhere to substantiate this, and wonder if you have any information regarding this. If so, what was the name of the school?" Matilda Martin, Coventry, West Midlands, England: May 6, 2014 |
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Reply to Matilda? If you can help to answer the question that Matilda asks above, please email me, then I'll pass on her email address to you. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: August 9, 2013 |
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Recollections 11. Matilda Martin (née Tillie Kelly) Coventry, Warwickshire, England |
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Thank you to Matilda (Tilly) Martin for writing again. Tilly wrote: |
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Mackay's Bowl Makers was Morgan's Public House "Whilst browsing the EdinPhoto web site, I've found that the, the bowl makers in Blackfriars Street often comes up. I wonder if you realised that in my childhood in the early-1940s, in wartime, that this was Morgan's Public House. Our Saturday night entertainment, was watching our neighbours rolling out at closing time. Some staggered out, some fell out and some came out, fighting fit. We were watching in our nightclothes from our window. Our mother made sure that we were out of the way of the drunks. Before television, we had to make our own entertainment!" Matilda Martin (née Tillie Kelly), Coventry, Warwickshire, England: 2 emails, August 29, 2015 |