Argyll Archives

[RootsChat]

Argyll and Bute Council Archives,
Manse Brae,
Lochgilphead,
Argyll. PA 31 8QU
Tel. 01546 604120

[loo]

Has anyone ever been there?
What did you find?

[cassmob]

I tried to go there last year but because the former archivist had retired I was told it was mostly closed and would need to send in a request. I recommend you get in touch with them directly as their site was not clear about the closure and depending where you live it can be a long way to go.

[loo]

Thank you.  I have heard, over the years, from two completely different sources, one going back about 15 or 20 years, that the archivist knew everything.  He had it all in his head, and knew the stories of all the families in the area!  I feared he might not be there by the time I got there, and I guess it's true!

[Martin Briscoe]

He retired last year unfortunately.

He was very knowledgeable, I rang to ask about a Japanese war grave in Lochgilphead and he was able to answer my question straight away from memory!

[loo]

Does anyone know if he's still there?  I think I might have his name somewhere, but not sure.  When you've devoted your whole life to something like he has, you might still want to help out on a voluntary basis, or write a book or whatever.

[Lodger]

Sadly for us, Murdo retired last year, he is a very nice, kind and helpful gentleman.  He pops in quite a lot to the office at Lochgilphead but as far as I know he doesn't help out on an unpaid basis.  If going there it would be best to contact the Archives Office before hand, as it is quite a journey.  I did hear that someone had taken his place but I can't be sure.  Glasgow City Archives does have some Argyll stuff, including the index of  surviving Poor Relief claims, mostly Campbletown, Islay and Inverarary.

[loo]

Thank you for that. Yes, that's the name I was told about;  now that you mention it, I remember.
Nice to know he's still around.
If anyone knows how to contact him, or his full name, please send me a PM.  I know that someone in my family worked with him about 15 years ago.  It would be nice just to meet him;  it seems like he's a legend in his own time!  I have the sense that my predecessor may have exhausted what was knowable, but I am not sure, as techniques are different now.  I would like to at least see the farms in question, which I have found on the modern OS.

It certainly is remote!  I looked into getting there once on a previous trip and decided against it.  As I recall, it was one bus a day that went there, maybe less than that, and it wasn't at all clear to me where I would be let off, or what I would do if I somehow missed the bus on the way back, or how I would get around once I got there!  So I decided to put it off until I had some company, and probably a car.  But that meant that I missed Murdo, alas.

[Alecm]

I stopped in at the Archives in July and there was an archivist who replaced Murdo. They have some good estate records there that helped me out with families in North Knapdale.  Lochgilphead has bus service from Glasgow on the route to Campbellton, and is a nice compact little town. Another good place to try in Glasgow is the Mitchell Library.