A Father's Letters - Alexander Murray McDougall

I am very lucky to have in my collection several letters written by my maternal great grandfather, Alexander Murray McDougall. He died quite young when my mum was only 8 years old, but she has fond memories of him and visits to the family home in Glasgow. The letters my grandmother kept give us an insight into the kind and caring man that he was. 

Alexander was born on 22 June 1885 at 369 Garscube Rd, Glasgow at 11 am in the morning, the first child of George Graeme McDougall, a slater and Martha Orr Campbell Murray.  The family were still living at the same address at the time of the 1891 census. 

Alex had three brothers, George Graham born 1887, John Murray born 1894, James born 1896 and a sister, Helen Forrest born 1890. 

His mother, Martha died in 1896 when Alex was 11 years old of pernicious anaemia, just three months after the birth of her youngest child, James. Young James also died 5 months later when he was just 8 months of age. They are buried together in Lair No. 616 at Lambhill Cemetery in Glasgow.

In 1899 his father, George married a widow, Mary Cassidy nee McDonald. At the time of the 1901 census, the family had moved to 41 Rosehall St, and Alex was working as a Grocers Assistant. 

By the time of the 1911 census Alex had moved to Stevenston in Ayrshire and was living with his maternal aunt, Agnes McDonald and her family. He was working as a Dynamite Worker at the Nobel Explosive Plant, a dynamite manufacturing plant built by Alfred Nobel in 1871. I have written more about this in my previous blog post about my grandmother, Helen Forrest Martin nee McDougall - Munitions Worker.

It was here that Alex met his wife, Caroline Anstey Garrett, and they married on 29 December, 1911 with Alexander's friend and future brother in law, James McGill  as a witness. The other witness was likely Caroline's older sister, Mary Garrett, however the given name is unclear on their marriage certificate.

Alexander and Caroline had three daughters, Elizabeth Garrett, known as Cissie, born in 1913 and Helen Forrest, known as Nellie, born in 1915 who were both born in The Folly in Stevenston and their youngest daughter, Caroline, known as Carrie was born in 1921 in Glasgow where the family had settled after the war. Sadly, young Cissie died in 1919 of diphtheria just before her 6th birthday. 

Alexander's brother, John Murray McDougall was reported as "Killed or died as a direct result of enemy action" on 4 June 1915. He had joined the Collingwood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division as an Able Seaman and took part in the Third Battle of Krithia on the Gallipoli peninsula during World War I, which was the last Allied attack against the Ottoman defences. Of the seven hundred strong Collingwood Battalion over five hundred men were killed or wounded. John is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, overlooking the Dardanelles.

Alexander's father, George died in October 1924 and is buried at Lambhill Cemetery with other family members. 

Upon their return to Glasgow, Alexander was employed as a Stationary/Book Packer. His father-in-law, Albert Garrett also came to live with the family during the 1920's and remained there until his death in 1939.  Caroline's sister, Lizzie also lived with the family until she married in 1941. The family resided in a two-room tenement at 117 Albert St, Townhead. The main room had a recess bed, the fire and kitchen area, the other room had a recess bed as well. The street name was later changed to McAslin St.  Only a small portion of McAslin St has survived today, the only original surviving building is St. Mungo's Roman Catholic Church, which backs onto McAslin St. 

McAslin St, Townhead, Glasgow - left c1900s and right c1960s images courtesy The Glasgow Chronicles

Mum and I visited The Tenement House on a visit to Glasgow in 1998. The Tenement House is a National Trust for Scotland property located at 145 Buccleuch Street, Garnethill. When you step inside, the faithfully restored four rooms appear as if frozen in time and provide a rare glimpse into life in Glasgow in the early 20th century. 

Alexander and Caroline's daughter Helen, married Robert Conway Martin on 24 December 1938 in Glasgow and they settled in Stevenson and lived with Robert's family at "Seaview" in Glencairn St, Stevenston. 

Due to the distance between them, the family kept in touch by writing letters, several of which my nan had kept and brought to Australia when they immigrated in 1951. Most of the letters I've included were sent during the World War II. 

The letter below was written on 29 June 1939, just after the birth of their first grand-daughter, June.

Alex refers to Helen's husband, Bob and also Agnes Bain. Agnes was his cousin, a daughter of his maternal aunt, Agnes Murray and her husband, Alexander McDonald who he had lived with before his marriage. It's also nice to know that we share a DNA match with a great grandchild of Agnes - a little extra evidence to confirm our relationship to our shared 3 x great grandparents, Alexander Murray and Sarah Cockburn Campbell.  

The next letter I have included is addressed to both Bob and Nellie and was sent few years later and is dated 7 March 1941 a month before the arrival of their next grandchild, Carol.  Young June has been sent off to her maternal grandparents while her mother is recovering from a injury to her finger. 

This letter also refers to the loss of a beloved family pet, Joey, possibly a canary based on the Alex's comment. Also mentioned are Bob's parents, Mr and Mrs Martin and his two sisters, Sadie and Rita. 

Alex sent the following letter to Helen on 29 October 1944 at a time when everyone seems to be suffering from illness. 

Hugh is the husband of Caroline's sister, Lizzie who by this time was living in Saltcoats near Stevenston. Alex shows his caring nature in his comments about his wife who was also unwell and it is a light hearted and comical description of him and his daughter making sure she is well cared for.  I will however pass on his castor oil remedy to cure his upset stomach! 

Also mentioned is an airgraph from A. Campbell that had been addressed to Helen but Alex believes is intended for her sister, Carrie. A. Campbell is his nephew, Alexander Campbell, who later enlists with the US Army and is posted to the UK where he meets his cousin Carrie, and they later marry in 1947. I had not heard of an "airgraph" before, but it was a system devised in World War II in which letters were photographed in miniature and sent by airmail. What a shame the airgraph hasn't survived!

This short video shows how the Airgraph system worked. 

Another inclusion in this letter is also a note from Helen's sister, Carrie. The person Sandy she mentions was an old boyfriend of Helen's who Carrie was keen on.  Ironically, Sandy also immigrated to Australia and settled in Western Australia.

Whilst these letters show us the close relationship between a father and his daughter, I am also including the letter below that Alex sent in 1928 to his in laws, John Campbell and Mary Garrett who had immigrated to the USA five years earlier.  

John has suggested Alex and Caroline immigrate to the US and has offered Alex employment, but Alex kindly declines the offer as he feels he has good employment where he is with publishers, Blackie & Son, and also has the responsibility of his ageing father-in-law. He also doesn't seem too keen to do any medical tests that might be required! 

Alex mentions the possibility of visiting in the summer, but also comments they are more likely to get back to see them before that happens.  I don't think he and John ever met again.  Alex also sends love to John and Mary's daughters, Bunty, Bessie and baby Jean from their cousins, Nellie and Carrie.   

There is a very touching, postscript letting John know that "our street has changed it's name, but not our hearts". 

Although Alex comments in 1928 that he had applied for a new home with the housing corporation this did not transpire and he lived the rest of his life at 117 McAslin St where he died on 2 March 1949 when he was just 63 years of age. 

He is buried in Lair No. 1531 at Riddrie Park Cemetery in Glasgow, together with his father-in-law, Albert Garrett.