William McKenna

[Forfarian]

St Marys RC Church was on Telegraph Road Longriggend

It seems to have gone. See https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=18&lat=55.90933&lon=-3.88722&layers=168&right=BingHyb

I think the bungalow in https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4405610 stands on the site of St Mary's.

[AuntieMomo]

Thanks all for your help.  Yes, it looks like they bulldozed everything in the village except the Kirk, and that's no longer in use.

I will try findmypast.co.uk, those people that you've found there sound like the right family. 

[mosstrooper]

Hello Auntie,
My name is James Kerr, I was raised in the area you are researching and know the families you mention. My first 5 years were spent at Limerigg, 2 miles to the East of Longriggend, then 15 years in Plains about 4 miles to the west. The Catholic Church you mention on Telegraph Road was served by a Priest from Caldercruix, failing that from Whiterigg. Getting a Catholic Church built in those areas was a difficult thing to do, non Catholic land owners always refused. so it was just a small building of temporary construction with no House for a Priest.
Nimmos Rows was housing for Miners built by Coal Owner Nimmo, one room, one window, one door, no Gas, No Electricity, no Toilet, no running water and no Internet.

How can I help you.

[AuntieMomo]

Hi James, many thanks for this.  I don't know the area at all, and couldn't understand from Googlemaps where any of my relatives were supposed to have lived, worked and worshipped when there's very little there except for some modern houses and a disused Kirk.

What you've written is very helpful and someone earlier directed me to a couple of pictures on Scotland's People of Nimmos Rows.  The houses look grim and tiny and explains why some of the children I was interested in didn't live with their mother, but lived with their siblings in different houses on the same street.

The children that I was interested in were 5 McKenna ladies from the early 1900s, 3 of whom (Elizabeth, Mary, Jeanie) married miners called Kane, one (Margaret) married a Cairney, one (Sarah) married a Toy. Since they were married at the same time and some had the same surname, it's impossible really to follow this family up any more than I have.  I have their husbands and their deaths, some of their kids. There was a James McKenna who married Margaret McCance but died in a pit accident age 27.  Any local knowledge you have, any personal knowledge of the people would be wonderful. I think ultimately though, the whole family is scattered to the winds.

[mosstrooper]

Auntie, you might think they are all scattered to the four winds, but that is not so, all the family names you are looking at can still be found in Caldercruix and Plains. You are in a bit of trouble with names like Kane though, in the period you are researching there were so many Kane' they could only be identified by their Nick Names, even worse, when a man from that area got married, he lost his identity and from then onward became Mary Hendersons man.

I went to school with all those families, Kane, Cairney, Kelly, McCann, Gallacher there were McKenna's too. The majority of miners families in that area, Longriggend, Caldercruix, Whiterigg, Arden, Stanrigg Whiterigg, Darngavil, Ballochney all came from Ireland like mine, these places were all within an area of 3 square miles.

Ask any questions you like, at this time with no travel I am stuck, but they are all a short drive from me and I can pinpoint families for you still around.

James.

[MonicaL]

An old post here that you might find of interest www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=666085.0

Monica 

[lud]

Sarah McKenna married Neil Toy in Airdrie 1906,a daughter Sarah Henderson Toy, was baptised 16 Sept 1906, in St Marys Longriggend, the Priest was Fr Daniel O'Sullivan, the god parents were,James and Janet Kane.
Sarah H Toy, married Thomas Little Brown in St Marys Longriggend 10 April 1939.
James McKenna married Margaret McCance 1923 Airdrie,  James was killed 2 March 1926 Hillhead Colliery F.A.I. - Fall of Stone.

Hope this Helps in you'r Quest.

[AuntieMomo]

That does help, thanks all.  Getting loads done with all of this 

[mosstrooper]

Hillhead Colliery is just round the South side of the Black Loch, Limerigg. My first 5 years were spent round the other side of the Black Loch at Heatherfield Cottages Limerigg. The Coal Bing is still there  shaped like a Mexican Hat. Be careful there are many places in Scotland called Hillhead Colliery, far away from Longriggend, this is the one you want. You can see the Pit Bing directly above the Fishermen here.
 

JK.