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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: tigger_lass on Friday 19 April 19 12:55 BST (UK)
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Hi
My late step-father found a WW1 medal and we would like to find the family to return it to them - he found it metal-detecting but we don't know where or when :(
It was for 3396 Private James Devine, Scots Rifles. He died 2nd/3rd August 1916 in France. Ancestry shows his father received his effects as James was single when he died.
From looking at the 1911 Census they were living in Ferguson Street, Motherwell and James was an apprentice baker.
1911 DEVINE, JAMES (Census 639/ 22/ 17) Page 17 of 29
William 52 b Carluke
Jane L 52 b Lanark (initial is possibly Lang)
Daniel 21 b Glasgow
James 17 b Glasgow
Janet 15 b Glasgow
Jeanie 13 b Glasgow
Can anyone help us track down any relatives for this soldier so that we can pass the medal back to the family?
A newspaper article said he was killed on his 23rd birthday so he would have been born August 1893. The article (my brother saw this) stated the family lived in Dellburn Street, Motherwell.
His birth was 3/8/1893 in Mathieson St, Glasgow and his parents marriage was 3/9/1884 in Hamilton.
All help greatly accepted!
Tracey
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According to my 1925 street directory the family were still in Dellburn St, number 18b. William Devine, engineman, was the householder. Looks like James was an only son?
It could be difficult to find any family now, after 100 years. The "evens" side of Dellburn Street doesn't have any houses now, it is taken up by the Fire Station. It was 2-story tenement buildings all along that side, until the 1960s.
Perhaps the Heritage Centre in Motherwell would take the medal? Or, how about the Cameronian Museum in Hamilton? (The Cameronians were the Scottish riffles).
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Jane Lang Devine 1859-Oct 1928, and William Devine 1859-Jul 1940 are buried in Airbles Road cemetery, Motherwell. Findagrave.com has them listed but no headstone photo.
Jenny Devine (age 25) of 18 Dellburn St Motherwell left for Montreal & Quebec on 3/11/1921.
Janet Devine (age 29) of 11 Dellburn St, a domestic, returned from Toronto on 26/6/1926.
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1940 death notice for William only mentions late wife, Jane Lang. No other relatives listed. Died at 29 Dellburn Street (not seeing a number 29 on the 1935 valuation rolls, although there was a William Devina at house 11).
A Thomas Devine, brother, was living with William and family at 1901.
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Janet Devine (age 29) of 11 Dellburn St, a domestic, returned from Toronto on 26/6/1926.
Janet seems to have gone back and forth. Latest I can see so far, was her heading back to Canada in November 1935 having come from there in July 1935. Still single at time.
Previous address in Toronto noted as 137 Howland Avenue. She was returning there to her employer, a Mrs Stafford, of same address.
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There also seems to have been another sister, Marion, in 1901 census. Can see record of her heading to Canada in 1922 aged 30.
Other records indicate she was Marion Robb Devine b 5/7/1891.
Possibly on an Ancestry tree titled Les&Mags Family Tree. Maybe someone with a current subscription could contact the owner to check if they have any knowledge of descendants for the Devine family group.
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Hi Tracey
Unfortunately I can't help, however hope you find the family as I'm sure they would be proud of their ancestors bravery.
Good Luck
Poppy
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Thanks Everyone for your help so far!
I've managed to trace a marriage for Daniel Devine (James' brother) to Agnes Struthers in 1918. It's not the clearest and I've asked Scotlandspeople for a rescan. Daniel's middle name appears to be Montgomery and there is a death record for a Daniel Montgomery Devine in Troon in 1971.
I've paid to look at William's death record and it was Daniel who registered his father William's death in Jul 1940 and his address was given as Troon so its likely the right one!
I guess I need to get to my local Scotlandspeople access point in Alloa to see the death record for Daniel to find out who registered it. Would it be worthwhile posting on the Ayrshire page in case anyone linked to the Devines is active there?
Tracey
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The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald 15 Nov 1968 edition contained an Intimation indicating Daniel M Devine and Agnes Struthers celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary in November 1968 at Lanark! Source: http://www.ayrshire-roots.co.uk/vSignup/herald8.php
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This is getting freaky....my husband has a very distant connection to Agnes Struthers from looking at his tree! Maybe I should just hand the medal to him lol!
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. DEVINE—STRUTHERS.—At Barr’s Temperance Hotel, Lanark, on the 12th Nov., the Rev. Mr Dawson, Private Daniel M. Devine, M.M., 7th Seaforths, to Agnes Struthers, youngest daughter of William Struthers, Cartland, Lanark.
As per Motherwell Times, November 1918.
Also, one to consider, a Jane Lang Munroe nee Devine, mother's maiden name Struthers, died at Insch in 1985 aged 63. She was married to a George Manson Munro in Aberdeenshire in 1945.
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One has to ponder if they returned to Barr’s Temperance Hotel in 1968 to celebrate their GW.
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UPDATE.....We found the family!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to help me with this search.
So what happened? I'm not posting full details for any living person.
I found that James was the 3rd child of 5 of William Devine and Jane Lang. William and Jane were married 3/9/1884 in Hamilton.
1 - Daniel Montgomery Devine b. 30.4.1889 m. 12.2.1918 d. 1.7.1971
2 - Marion Robb Devine b. 5.7.1891 m. 19.3.1926 d. 12.5.1959
3 - James Devine b. 3/8/1893 d. 3/8/1916
4 - Janet Montgomery Devine b. 13/1/1896 went to Canada
5 - Elizabeth Jane Devine b. 12.10.1897 d. 27.12.1965
Daniel Montgomery Devine m Agnes Struthers in 1918. They had one daughter Jane who married in 1945 and she had one son Forbes. Jane died in 1985 and her son died in 2014 but never married or had any children so there was no further way to trace on this line.
All 3 daughters of William and Jane went to Canada at one time, with only Janet settling there and marrying a Mr Dwinford. She came back in 1965 to register the death of her sister Elizabeth. I've tried to trace the family in Canada but not had any response from the emails sent.
Elizabeth came back from Canada and remained in Motherwell for the rest of her life, never marrying.
Marion Robb Devine is the key to how I found living relatives of James. She married Joseph Matthews 19/2/1926 in Motherwell and they lived at 172 Airbles Road. They had 5 children, twin boys who died shortly after their premature birth in 1927 and a daughter and two further sons.
George Matthews b. 24.4.1927 d. 25.4.1927
James Matthews b. 24.4.1927 d. 28.4.1927
Ruth b. 7.6.1928 married Malcolm McKay in 1953 in Motherwell. She died in 2005 and her death was registered by her daughter Marion. I found Marion's marriage in 2009.
William Thomas Matthews b. 29/6/1929 married in 1959 and died in 2008, he had a daughter Dawn, I found her 2nd marriage in 2015.
Joseph Ronald Matthews was born in 1932 and married but I didn't find out anything more.
Through Facebook I was able to find details for both Marion and Dawn - my brother reached out and Marion got in touch and was happy to confirm she was the right person, the great-niece of James Devine! She surprised us totally by informing us that her uncle Joseph Ronald was alive and well and was therefore James' nearest living relative at 87 years old!
My brother runs a Veteran's Support charity at the Kings Church in Motherwell and they are going to get James Devine's medal restored and re-ribboned then framed to be presented back to his family.
We will never know how my step-dad found the medal but we now can put it safely back in the Devine family's hands again.
Thanks for all the help again!
Tracey
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Hi Tracey
What an amazing story. What a happy ending. Well done to you and everyone who helped you with this quest. You did it!
Monica :)
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As a Veteran, it irks when I view or hear of a Serviceman or member of the Emergency Services being "given" a medal. The medal was earned and "awarded" for the individual's efforts.
On behalf of all Veterans Tracey, thank you and your brother for your efforts to return an Award.
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What a wonderful outcome ;D.
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What a terrific story and a superb ending . Well done everyone on your hard work.
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What a lovely story with a perfect ending, well done all!
It would be nice to see details of the hand-over in the Media as it may encourage others who find/come across such items to realise how important they were/are & give them ideas as to how to go about reuniting them.
Annie
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Hi
I’ve copied this from the Facebook page of my brothers charity VC at the KC. I’ve attached pictures of the medal being returned to the family. My brother is in the burgundy hoodie in the 2nd picture.
“3396 Private James Devine (Scots Rifles) medal returned.
For those who have been following this story a WW1 medal, belonging to Private James Devine, was found and handed over to the VC at the KC in April 2019. Extensive work was undertaken to try and trace the family and restore the medal.
3396 Private James Devine (Scots Rifles), attached to 16bn Royal Scots, died at the Somme on 3rd August 1916 (his 23rd birthday). Today his medal was returned to his family where it belongs.
Special thanks go to Tracey Wilson, Karen Dalgliesh and Graeme Dalgliesh for their hard work in making this happen.”
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Great to put faces to the names :)
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How wonderful, his family must have been thrilled .