Gavin Russell Boyd Arthur

1919 - 1988  (69 years)

• Name	Gavin Russell Boyd Arthur
  Born	11 Sep 1919	Inverkip, Renfrewshire, Scotland
  Gender	Male
  _UID	14F4408F4210449CB7C148197790B2BC5713
  Died	18 Oct 1988	Brockhall, Lancashire, England
  Person ID	I19813	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	10 Dec 2011

  
  

  Father	William Arthur,   b. 21 Jul 1895, West Linton, Peebleshire, Scotland ,   d. 18 Jun 1948, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland  (Age 52 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth Russell Boyd,   b. 26 Oct 1893, Carwood Street, Greenock, Scotland ,   d. 14 Jan 1956, Lockfast Hospital, Lanark, Scotland  (Age 62 years)
  Married	1 Oct 1915	23 James Nisbet Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
  	Witnesses at the wedding of William Arthur and Elizabeth Boyd were James Boyd and Christina Marshall
  Family ID	F5394	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Lucy Davis Bradburn,   b. 22 Oct 1927, Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland ,   d. 18 Sep 2004, Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland  (Age 76 years)
  Married	30 Dec 1947	Cambusnethan New Churchyard
  Children	1. Living   2. Living
  Last Modified	15 Nov 2011
  Family ID	F7063	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Gavin left school in 1941/42 and worked in an office at a joiners in Clelland. At the age of 17 he left the joinery and left in 1945 to join the land army. He joined the land army because you had to be 18 to join the armed services. First posted to a nearby village then in 1946 he was posted to to his father's farm at Neatherhill. Later he was posted to Carwath and was working there when he married. Gavin died most unexpectedly passing away in his sleep, at his home at 2 Farm Cottages, Brockhall. After a service at Old Langho Church he was cremated at Accrington Crematorium. From the recollections of Bill Arthur; "Gavin's address at the time of marriage was Netherhill Farm; but either before, or at the time of the marriage, he left the farm and took a job at Wester Yardhouses Farm, Carnwath. I never knew why he left home but according to Auntie Mary (Lucy's sister), Lucy told her that Gavin and Jim were only paid pocket money by their father and Gavin needed his independence when he married. Gavin and Lucy were married at Masonic Hall, Wishaw. Minister of Church took the service. Auntie Mary told me this story about the wedding (in her words): "It was held in the Masonic Hall in Wishaw in 1947 (30 Dec 1947). No one could afford posh weddings in those post-war days. The Minister came to the Hall to officiate, the tables were laid out on either side and after the ceremony, the caterers arrived - presumably with the steak pie! There were a lot of people there but I can't recall Gavin's father there. I had only met him once when we all went to Netherhill; he was a right dour, unsociable Scot and we never saw him after the introductions had been made! I think he did resent Gavin leaving Netherhill. After all he was losing cheap labour! It was a snowy December night and a bus load of your Dad's relations were expected from Sanquar, Cumnock, Carstairs etc. The bus didn't turn up and the Minister was getting itchy to start. Peter (my Auntie Mary's husband to be)has the job of arranging the bridal party in the vestibule and giving the nod to a friend who'd volunteered to play "Here comes the Bride" on the piano. He began to play when the doors opened, the bus load of people swept in brushed past us and into the Hall where the other guests were standing waiting for the Bride! So it was Take 2! The Hall only had a licence - there was no bar, people brought bottles and they were all put together on a large table. Someone decide that Uncle Fred should be put in charge of the "bar" as he didn't drink. Later on in the evening, Uncle Fred was found behind the bar blissfully pissed out of his mind! There was an accordionist called Johnny Devine who played Eightsome Reels, Dashing White sergeant etc - and everyone had a great time." Lucy finished work when she married. When first married they lived at Wester Yardhouses Farm,Carnwath. The house was tied to Gavin's job. I can only assume that since Lucy was in the land army at Wester Yardhouses, Gavin visited her there and was able to get a job there. Gavin subsequently applied for a job advertisement for Head Cowman at Brockhall in Lancashire and moved there in February 1949. They lived at 2 Farm Cottages, Brockhall and Gavin died there in 1988. Lucy stayed there until about 1991 when the hospital estate was sold and closed. On 3rd March 2010 I visited Wester Yardhouses Farm at Carnwath where Gavin worked. I'm not sure when Gavin and Lucy moved there but it was after their marriage as their marriage certificate shows their addresses as Netherhill Farm and Hospital Road Wishaw, respectively. So they were there from about Dec 1947 until February 1949. It is a bleak spot! The road to the farm starts about 3 miles from the centre of Carnwath. The road winds up the hillside for about 1 mile and leads only to the farm. I know that the farm was owned by George Elder since I have a letter of reference that Mr Elder provide for Dad when he applied to go to Brockhall. The farm no longer exists as a working farm but the farmhouse still exists and is now occupied by George Elder's nephew. About 100 yards further down the road from the farm are the farm buildings which have been modernised and some derelict cottages. We spoke to the owner of one of the cottages. His cottage was originally the dairy and their kitchen was where the cows were milked. So we stood where Dad no doubt milked the cows over 60 years ago. It is impossible to know which of the cottages Gavin and Lucy would have lived in when they were there and it is impossible to know what life would have been like for them with a new born child. I wonder how Lucy got to Lanark when I was expected? What a start to married life! Auntie Mary used to visit her once a week. She caught the bus to Carnwath and then walked to the farm."