Description: A long thin piece of a needlework worked in wool with a design of stylized flowers in green, white and red. Along the top is embroidered ‘Grace Edgar 1 Alma Terrace Rothesay 22.11.1877’
Origin: Grace Edgar was born in Moffat on 13th July 1851. In the Bute Directory of 1876, her father was listed as a farmer and the family were living in Alma Terrace. Grace married George Ledingham in 1890 but sadly he died in 1891 of tuberculosis at Ardbeg Road. Grace moved to Glasgow and died in Dunoon in 1929. The piece of needlework was purchased at auction.
]]>Origin: The Museum has a large collection of farming medals which have been donated over the years. As examples of what medals were awarded for – we have ones for plain ploughs, best 3 year-old cow in milk, best mare in foal, best black-faced tup and most points at butter show.
]]>Origin: One of a collection of medals given to the Museum. Farming medals give names to the people who were working the land in the 19th century and, in some cases, the people who provided a service to the farmers. On this medal the farmer at Kilbride is John Stevenson and the saddler presenting the medal is Robert Burness.
]]>Object: Carved Oak Chair
Date: 19th century
Description: Solid oak chair with heavily carved back, with pierced fretwork in the Gothic style. This is
one of a set of five chairs. A silver plaque on the back reads ‘Presented by the Marquis of Bute to the
Magistrates of Rothesay 1838.’
Origin: The chairs came to the Museum when the Council Chambers closed. Another set of chairs in red
leather, with the crest of Rothesay in gold on the backs, came from the same source.
Object: Prison Door
Date: 19th C
Description: Door from Rothesay Jail. Following the demolition of the Tolbooth, the prison was situated beside
the County Buildings in High Street. Life was hard for a prisoner, who would be occupied in the activities
of stone breaking, net making and oakum picking. Meals were basic, consisting of porridge, barley broth
and bread. In 1857 Daniel Duncan, police officer, was appointed to ‘Inflict punishment of whipping on
juvenile offenders’. The door came to the museum when the jail was demolished.
Object: Long case clock
Date: 19th c
Description: Long case signed by Robert Smith, Irven. The dial is of brass and silver with brass spandrels. The
case is pine. Robert Smith was working in Irvine in 1820.
Origin: The clock was gifted to the Museum by the family of James Lamont, Kilchattan Butts. It had been
bought by Mr Lamont’s grandfather from a sale of furniture from the manse of Kingarth. The Rev John
Scoular was reputed to have bought it from an inn in the vicinity of Bransier Bog at the South end of
Bute.
Object: Pottery Container
Date: 19th century
Description: Pottery container inscribed ‘Mrs R Sharp, No 8 Laidside (sic) St, Rothesay’. These houses were demolished many years ago. Mrs Sharp’s daughter Janet married Alexander Stewart, the blacksmith at Ambrisbeg Smiddy and her painting of the smiddy in 1881 hangs in the history gallery.
Origin: Donated by the family.
Object: Customs Seal
Date: 19th century
Description: A brass seal with the words ‘Customs Rothesay Station’. The Custom House was in High Street in the building known as the Mansion House. Built in 1680 for George Cunningham, this was the largest house in Rothesay at the time. It was later sold to Lord Bute who lived there until the 1720s when Mountstuart House was built. After that it became the Custom House.
Origin: Bought from a private dealer.
Object: Photo Archive
Date: 19th century
Description : Rothesay Castle
This early photograph of Rothesay Castle was taken sometime before 1900. Between 1870 and 1900 the 3rd Marquess of Bute employed the renowned architect William Burgess to implement major renovations to the castle, removing numerous houses and a smithy within the castle grounds, repairing the existing walls and the reconstruction of the first floor of the gatehouse. The open stairway is known as the “Bloody Stairs” as according to legend the Lady Isabel threw herself down them to escape a marauding Viking invader. The castle is said to be haunted by her ghost known as the “Green Lady”. (P03-2765, B13.84)