The Gilroy family donations

The Burns-related items kept by the Templeton relations passed, on the death of William Templeton's wife Helen to their daughter Janet (Mrs McGavin), then to a maternal relation Mrs Janet Elliot (c.1837-1893), then Mr Templeton’s grand-niece Margaret Clark, Mrs Gilroy, who died in Australia in 1939. Some other items, incl. the family Bible, were kept by an Irvine relation, John Clark of Muir Drive.

On his mother's death, Francis Clark Gilroy corresponded with the 'Irvine Herald' in 1939 and Editor William Ross passed the letter to Irvine Burns Club. After the war, and after a visit to Irvine Burns Club by his brother Archie Gilroy in 1946, Francis Gilroy renewed contact, sending William Templeton's silk stockings, the snuff box and the dram glass to Irvine in 1949. His wife visited Irvine that September and formally presented the items to Irvine Burns Club.

Other items passed down to their son Alex Gilroy, who visited Irvine Burns Club in 2015 partly to see the items donated by his mother and partly to donate other items. Of the seal, Alex said: “This has been in my family for many years but it belongs to the world, so today just feels like bringing it home.” We are glad that he did so.

The Gilroy Correspondence

The two letters from Francis Clark Gilroy are interesting, so we include them here. (The Bold highlighting is ours.)

26/11/1939: Letter in the ‘Irvine Herald’ from Mr Francis Clark Gilroy, a JP for New South Wales:

“I write you in connection with the decease of the remaining link of an old and influential Irvine family extending back well over a century ago, and a family which had connections with the Scottish Bard in his associations with Irvine.

My mother, Mrs Margaret Clark Gilroy passed away on the 25th October, 1939 . . the daughter of Francis Clark, one time shipwright of Irvine, and Janet Welsh Clark, my mother was born at Partick in 1864 and at the age of six months was left in the care of her married cousin Mrs Janet Elliot of Irvine, Francis Clark and his wife having sailed at that time for Mobile, USA, in his father’s sailing ship, the ‘William and Nancy of Wigtonshire’. Nothing further was ever heard of the ship or Francis Clark.

Francis Clark was the son of one James Clark of Seagate, Irvine, a leading light in the affairs of the council or ‘Toonhoose’ early in the last century, and a relative of Nellie Clark who married one William Templeton, a friend and Irvine associate of the ‘Immortal Bard’. William Templeton had one son and one daughter; the latter subsequently became Mrs McGavin, and dying in her late nineties was well remembered by my mother as a little girl. Mrs McGavin was closely associated with Burns, through her father, and was an able exponent of ‘Rantin Robin’ and my mother was the recipient of many unpublished tales of our ‘Ploughman Philosopher’.

William Templeton had a shop at the Town Hall and the first Post Office in Irvine. I have in my possession the first stamp used in that Post Office with Helen Templeton’s (nee Nellie Clark) initials on one end. [The writer is unaware that, by the 1830s, the Post Office was elsewhere and that she was running the Stamp Office.] According to records in the writing of Burns I have in hand, it appears that the son of William Templeton, one James Templeton, absconded with certain monies belonging to the P.O., and Burns in company with a certain David Sillars (Immortalised as ‘Dainty Davie’) made up the books.

Preparatory to proceeding to Edinburgh in November, 1786, with a view to the publication of a new edition of poems, Burns had paid a visit to William Templeton and in the superstition of the times suggested an exchange of some article of clothing with the former gentleman, with the view to steering the course of ‘Dame Fortune’. Burns and William Templeton exchanged stockings. The stockings of Burns, of white silk, are in my possession today and taking account of their age are in a wonderful state of preservation. Those stockings were never worn since and appear to have been comparatively new when exchanged.

It appears that in the back of the shop owned by Templeton, Burns learned weaving and a large arm chair of great comfort and antique design which is reputed to have been a favourite seat of the poet, was installed in that room and is at present in my possession. That was prior to Burns moving to the Glasgow Vennel about the year 1782.

Among other relics which have been passed to me are a whisky glass belonging to the poet, a snuff box and certain account books of Mrs Helen Templeton involving the names of many local notorieties, among some of whom are the names of H. Crichton, Walter Berry, James Lumsden, Finnie Pedden, etc., bearing dates as late as 1810. In all the histories compiled on the poet I have discovered very little embracing the Royal Burgh of Irvine and his acquaintances in that grand old town. But I have indisputable proof that Irvine filled no mean part of the poet’s life.

James Clark [the writer's great-grandfather] died many years before my mother was born, being nursed by his only daughter Nancy Clark who never married. As the family finances had become negligible, my mother, who was reared by her cousin, Mrs Elliot, was forced to domestic service in Glasgow and some years after marriage she moved to Stevenston. Over a quarter of a century ago she emigrated with her family to Australia. During my sojourn with the Australian Forces in the great war, I visited Irvine, but was unsuccessful in eliciting any information regarding any living relatives of my mother.”

In their reply,

the ‘Irvine Herald’ reported that they were passing Mr Gilroy’s letter to Irvine Burns Club. Also that the publication of his letter had led to finding a relative, James Clark, of Muir Drive, who possessed the Templeton family Bible, and had led to a visit by Miss Maggie Fulton (aged 80), who remembered his family and had photographs of them. Correspondence had then suddenly ceased.

In 1945/46, the reason became clear - Mr Gilroy’s return to the Australian Forces for a second war. After the war, his brother Archie visited and was shown round by the secretary (Robert Stewart) and an ex-President (ex-Provost P S Clark).

The following letter then followed:

16/8/1946: Letter in the ‘Irvine Herald’ from Mr F C Gilroy:

A considerable amount of water has flowed beneath the proverbial bridge since I last wrote to you . . yes, I’ve now passed through two wars . . I write to express my appreciation for the manner in which [my brother Archie] was received and the hospitality you so kindly extended to him. He is quite eulogistic in his description of his reception, and being able to view some of the manuscripts of ‘Our Bard’.

Now I promised you in 1939 to forward some very interesting relics of Burns and Templeton, and with the advent of peace and a little world sanity I feel the time is nearly opportune to do so. I had a discussion with my wife tonight and we have decided to take a trip home as soon as accommodation is available, and to present to Irvine Burns Club all the Templeton relics we possess. Here are Burns stockings, whisky glass, certain book entries and quite a few of Templeton’s own possessions.

You see, our two children, who are grown up now, are Australians, and consequently are more or less out of touch with Scotch sentiment and may not appreciate the value of these articles when we are gone and, who knows, either they or their progeny may subsequently cast them aside as so much sentimental junk.

We are both wrapped up in Burns and his sentiments which are so close to the hearts of Scottish exiles. His songs carry us back through the vales of our dear Ayrshire, and many times in moments of leisure carry back to me a vision of her rugged coast, and the scenes of my childhood spent among her fertile slopes are kept evergreen although so long, long ago now.