276 September 2017 - Gryffe Advertizer

september 2017
LOCAL
history
27
The Paisley “Wee Dig 2017” 18th to 25th September, 2017
The Abbey Drain was known to have existed, but its exact location was a
mystery. It was known that a Mr. John Crawford of Ellis Lane had fallen into
a tunnel under his garden in 1829 and that workmen, during preparation
for the building Bridge Street Bridge in 1879, fell into a stone tunnel 100
feet long. The drain was rediscovered in 1990. Since then Renfrewshire
Local History Form has had a keen interest in Paisley Abbey Drain and has
participated in numerous investigations and excavations.
The Drain is a large and impressive stone-built arched tunnel under the
grassed area between the Abbey and the River Cart. It was constructed
centuries ago to carry waste water through the precinct of Paisley Abbey.
Over the years members of the Forum have worked as volunteers on
numerous excavations led by GUARD Archaeology. The interior of the drain
has been surveyed and filmed, but access to the interior is limited because
of safety issues. Excavation, therefore, has been limited to the exterior of
the structure and the surrounding area.
During the excavations numerous
medieval roof tiles were found. One
exciting discovery was what is thought
to be a medieval slate oven from the
monks’ kitchen.
Forum members are again
volunteering for Paisley “Wee Dig
2017”, led by archaeologist firm
GUARD Archaeology Limited and
funded by Renfrewshire Council,
which will take place from 18th to
25th September, 2017.
© 2017, Helen Calcluth
Further information can be found on the Activities page of our website at
www.rlhf.info
Johnstone History Society
As intimated in our August notice our September meeting will take place on
Tuesday 12th September in Masonic Hall Collier Street at 7.30pm.
Members new and old will be made most welcome along with any visitors.
Our speaker for the evening will be Donald Reid and his subject is “The
Lost Mining Villages of the Doon Valley” which should be a very interesting
evening.
Supreme Sacrifice - Bridge of
Weir and the Great War
100 years ago this month – September 1917
Gunner John Begley, Royal Field Artillery
After the carnage of Third Ypres in August 1917, September proved
something of a respite for Bridge of Weir – cold comfort to Ellen Begley of
Co-operative Terrace, however, when she received the “Deeply regret to
inform you” telegram that her son John had died of wounds. John was the
youngest of a family of eight born to journeyman mason John Begley and
Ellen Beglay, married in Johnstone in 1878. By 1911, Ellen was a 58-yearold
widow sharing a three-roomed tenement flat with seven adult children
(aged 24 - 36) and four grandchildren (children of oldest son James who
was already a widower). Cramped conditions indeed, but the adults were
all in work (John was a mason’s labourer), so the family income must have
been reasonable.
John volunteered in
November 1914, joined
the Royal Field Artillery,
got kicked by a horse
when in training, returning
home to recuperate.
By 1917 he was in ‘A’
Battery, 103rd Brigade of
the RFA, attached to 23rd
Division and in the thick of
the action in Third Ypres.
Each battery had four 18-
pounder field guns. We
cannot tell precisely when John was wounded. The Division was in action
in 1917 during the Battle of Menin Road (20th - 25th September), and the
Battle of Polygon Wood (26th September - 3rd October). War diaries for
the 103rd Brigade show casualties received on the 21st August when all
Batteries were heavily shelled with 15cm howitzers, and on 21st -25th
September, when it took part in harassing fire and preparations for the next
attack, three officer casualties are recorded. The convention in war diaries
was to name only officer casualties – presumably listing “other ranks” by
name was either too time consuming or not deemed important enough.
But whether John suffered days or weeks from being wounded to dying, he
was certainly grieved back home and there is a very fine memorial window
to him in St. Fillan’s Church.
Read more about John Begley’s life and untimely death at http://www.
bridgeofweirmemorial.co.uk and in the book “Supreme Sacrifice: A Small
Village and the Great War available from www.birlinn.co.uk or Abbey Books,
2 Well Street, Paisley, and other major bookshops or online.
Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish on public or private land.
Fancy taking a look back?
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