Wick Street Names

[Angela]

Most towns did have a Temperance Hotel, was Mackays one?

And most had a Commercial Hotel, for "commercial travellers"...and sometimes a Station Hotel too...

sorry, I'm wandering way off topic here....but there was a very funny book written By Eric Newby in 1962 about his time spent as a commercial traveller.... just trying to remember if he got as far as Wick....

[brandy]

well we def. had a station hotel , theres something written on the side of the building but no one can figure out what it is!

[Rheghead]

Most towns did have a Temperance Hotel, was Mackays one?

I could be wrong but I thought all hotels were booze free in Wick until after WW1 such was the power of the temperance movement.

[Angela]

I could be wrong but I thought all hotels were booze free in Wick until after WW1 such was the power of the temperance movement.

You could be right, Rheghead, I know a lot of my relations joined "The Band of Hope" in the early 1900s.

[trinkie]

Angela, The memories are flooding back.... My grandfather ran the Band of Hope and a group called the Rechabites.

Each year in the Barrogill Hall Sunday school we had a man come to preach on the evils of Strong Drink.......

" Ye will all go to the bottom of the bottomless pit, where all the Hottentots and the Cannibals go, and for why ?
For ye have not been walking circumspectly..... hev ye ever seen a cat walking ? First he puts oot one paw and then he puts oot anither paw - and for why ? Because he is walking circumspectly !"

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
Cheers !

[golach]

I could be wrong but I thought all hotels were booze free in Wick until after WW1 such was the power of the temperance movement.

I was also told that the lack of Licensed premises in Week is how most of the rivalry between Thursa and Week started, so my father once told me.

[trinkie]

But we are wandering from the beaten path - back to streets....

why -
Mount Hooly Lane,
McPhails Court,
Gowrie Place
Stafford Place
Mathieson's Court


any know why they were so called?

[Angela]

But we are wandering from the beaten path - back to streets....

why -
Mount Hooly Lane,
McPhails Court,
Gowrie Place
Stafford Place
Mathieson's Court


any know why they were so called?

I think it's my mind that's wandering .....can't help with the others, but there is a Mount Hooly in Aberdeen, I think in Edinburgh also, and I'm sure it's just a corruption of "Mount Holy". Would that make sense in this case, do you think?

[Mizpah]

well we def. had a station hotel , theres something written on the side of the building but no one can figure out what it is!

I think it was Randall's Hotel

[JAWS]

Local History is always interesting. Keep it going folks, it's fascinating.

The Duke of Sutherland was also the 2nd Marquis of Stafford, but I don't know if that has any link to Stafford Place.

[trinkie]

Just remembered the Skate Hive or Sket Hive we pronounced it.

That was on the corner of Huddart Street and Wellington Street.

Were the Canadians there during the war?

Where did the name come from - something fishy there.

[caroline]

Thanks Peter for the interesting information most of my descendants were either born lived and died in the named Streets. Makes your family tree more interesting to. Most of my family fishermen.

[peter macdonald]

No problem Caroline I started out at the corner of Huddart St and Ducksie (Grant St) Skinners buildings was opposite with Tinwhistlies at the side Joe Cassidy the painter was round the corner I just wish I knew more about the "Backside"
All best
PM

[caroline]

That brings back memories Peter, Grant Street known as Ducksie remember this from my holidays staying with relatives in Grant Street.

[trinkie]

I have been asked where .....

Stafford Place mentioned earlier, is that curved Terrace across from Woolworths.
Stafford Lane runs behind.

Gowrie Place is off Thurso Road - on the right heading for Thurso.

McPhails Court is behind Jim Christie's house in Louisburgh Street.

[trinkie]

Peter - you mentioned Skinner's Buildings. It was built by John Skinner the Fish Curer. His relatives ''Skinners the Plumbers'' had their office/workshop there too. It had been called the ''New Buildings'' on the early records, but then it became Skinners Buildings. I see one part has now been converted into a house - and looks very nice. I remember three flats being there.

Grant Street was fondly called Ducksie because there had been a duck pond there at one time. Is there not a story or poem about this Peter? If you have it do you think you could let me have a copy please?

[peter macdonald]

Trinkie I dont have a copy at hand of the Seige of Ducksie but I think I know someone who has so Ill post it here if I get it !! The one name Im not too sure about is Nicholson St Kennedy Tce was that not after Dr Kennedy Albert St was after Queen Victorias husband Loch st was after a shareholder in the Fishery Society as was Brown Pl after Isaac Browne another investor
PM

[trinkie]

Here's one I dont remember -
Osborne Close, on Coach Road. ?? any ideas?

[Echidna]

ok what about vansittart?

In the Wick seaman's register of the 1890's my 2X great uncle David Alexander, fisherman born Keiss 1858, was living at 14 Vansittart St, Wick...

The register is available to view at ambaile.org.uk

I was having trouble deciphering the Street name from the handwriting and this excellent thread provided the answer. Thanks heaps

Echidna

[trinkie]

Echidna,

Most of Vansittart Street - as your grandfather would have known it - has now gone.
In the 1960s the old Fishermens' cottages were knocked down and
new houses put up, with running hot and cold water and inside toilets ! Such luxury.

My grannie lived in Vansittart street - so she would have known your grandfather! Her house was set in behind the main street. There was a flagstone square and a ''green'' for the washing line etc.
No flowers ! I may have said before, that a horse came in to eat the grass each year !
At the other side a row of coal sheds and the outside loos - all beautifully white-washed. At the back there was another outhouse - they were all stone-built with tiled roofs - where her husband kept his Coopering Tools, all beautifully cleaned and stored.

There was a pub down the road - near to No 14.
At the end of Vansittart Street was the ''Wallie'' where all the old Fishermen would sit and chat and look out for the Herring Boats coming in. Of course the Fishermen knew each boat - even at a distance and could tell what their load was like. Soon word was sent to the Fishing Yards that a certain boat was landing it's catch, and all the Fisher Lassies would be informed..... There would be a mad dash to get to the Yards, the Lassies now dressed in their Fishing Outfits complete with ''clooties'' on their fingers - no rubber gloves at that time, the clooties protected their fingers from sharp bones etc.

The Fishing Yard was now working flat out, with the Coopers banging away and the Lassies Gutting and Packing. There was constant chatter and singing....... and the SMELL !!!