Museum News

13 Hardback Gallovidian Annuals

Dalbeattie Museum remembers Mr Ernie Robinson

Offical Presentation Of The Queens Award

Dalbeattie Museum Awarded Queens Award

New Acquisitions for 2010
New Book
Volunteers
Visit of the Lord Lieutenant

13 Hardback Gallovidian Annuals

Only a few weeks ago the Museum became the custodians of 13 bound Gallovidian Annuals from Rory Callan,  Mr Ivie Callan grandson. these have been given to the Museum on a long term loan but they will be a great source of information for our visitors to refer to for local information and history of the area.

Dalbeattie Museum remembers Mr. Ernie Robinson

The name Ernie Robinson will be known the whole world over through his passion for all things that had a connection with the sea. Especially Ernie's huge interest in all that sailed on the Solway Firth.

Ernie was a lecturer at one time in Penrith. He had a holiday home called "Victory Cottage" in the village of Portling in Dumfries and Galloway.  This was where Dalbeattie Museums President Mr Tommy Henderson was to first meet Ernie, as he had required an electrician to do some wiring at the cottage. This is almost 45 years ago and they became close friends ever since.

Tommy Henderson was encouraged by Ernie to start his Museum in Dalbeattie, even though Ernie never took an active part in the building of the Museum he was always in the background.

His knowledge of local history especially local ships and their captains, where and when each ship was built and even to how much they cost. He spent hours in London researching out information from Maritime records. All copied by long hand.

Ernie was a perfectionist especially if a wrong date appeared in type, as Tommy has found in the books which were gifted to the Museum.

The Museum now has the most comprehensive collection of facts and figures appertaining to the sailing vessels that frequented the Solway Firth and the River Urr, when the boats came up as far as Dalbeattie Harbour.

Ernie will be sadly missed by his friends and acquaintances in Dalbeattie Museum.

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The Official Presentation of The Queens Award for Voluntary Service 2009

On Tuesday the 7th Of July 2009 in the Town Hall, Dalbeattie. Dalbeattie Museum was officially presented with their Queens Award Certificate and Commemorative Crystal Ware for Voluntary Service, from  Lt. Col. Sir Malcolm Ross, GCVO OBE.

The Presentation Ceremony started off by guests being met by the Lieutenant's Piper, Miss Megan Morgan.

 The introductions were done by Mr. Derek Crichton, Area Manager for the Stewartry. Followed  by Mrs. Jean Farish who gave a small speech about how the museum had received the award. Next the presentation, where Tommy Henderson, Chairman, received the certificate and Crystal Ware from Lt. Col. Sir Malcolm Ross.  Mr. Tommy Henderson then replied on behalf of the volunteers with a speech thanking everyone for this huge privilege bestowed on them. Shortly after Mr. Tommy Henderson gave a presentation on the history of the making of Dalbeattie Museum.

A Buffet and light refreshments finished off the exciting evening. 

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Dalbeattie Museum Awarded The Queens Award For Voluntary Services

Dalbeattie Museum's voluntary members were awarded this highly prestigious award on the 2nd of June 2009 as a recognition of all their hard work over the last 16 years. Tommy Henderson said on receiving the news of the award "It is really wonderful that the museum and the people of Dalbeattie have been recognized for all the hard work that has gone in over the years" the award will be presented by the Lord Lieutenant of Stewartry on a later date and four members of the museum trust have been invited to the Queens garden party at Holyrood House in Edinburgh. 

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New Acquisitions for 2010

The Museum has been gifted Old School Registers dating back to the 19oo's. These books name all the pupils that attended the school and where they lived in Dalbeattie and area.

Another two registers gives us the names of all the pupils that were evacuated to the town in the 1940's and who they stayed with and it also gives the name of the school they left to come to the town. These registers will be of great help for anyone whose parents came to Dalbeattie during the 2nd world war.

A War Bunker has been constructed by two of our members under the stairwell in the Museum. We hope it will convey just what it was like during those dark days of war.

A new show case in the main gallery contains several Christening Gowns dating back to the early 1800's. These items will compliment the large Victorian Perambulator which has been lovingly restored by members of the museum. This large coach built pram was used by the local laird to push his children around his estate.

New for 2010 and is one not only for the kids but the adults alike is a large collection

Local Transport in the form of Die Cast Toy Lorries and Cars from a private collection belonging to our youngest members Fraser and Graeme Henderson.

New Book

 A new book written by J. Alan Taylor called
               The Carswells of Dalbeattie
                    Millers and Shipowners

The book analysis one of Dalbeattie's former most important water powered industries and its related shipping with special references to the mid-nineteenth century.
It is also a story of what life was like in Dalbeattie in the middle of the 19th century.
Price £8:00
( plus £1:50 postage and packaging)

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Volunteers

We have several new volunteers this year which is great. When we do expand we will require two volunteers at a time to police the Museum.

The main door into the museum off the High Street has been a huge success, as we had over 6,ooo visitors through the door! This is over twice our usual number of visitors. Our visitors book is an indication that everyone enjoyed their visit and some had been two or three times before !!

Exciting times are ahead for Dalbeattie Museum 0pens up its doors on April 2nd at 11am

New items arrive almost every day, this week alone we have had several interesting items handed in.

Dalbeattie Museum is wheelchair friendly as we have a stair lift to take you to our second floor.

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Website

This is an exciting time for the museum at the moment, as the volunteers are excited about having a Webpage to promote the museum to a wider audience, and to bring it right up to date with technology.

As the motto of the museum is not only to look back but to also look forward to the future.

We have had many enquiries through the web site, many people looking for relatives or information on the town. Many Clubs and Organizations have also checked out viewing times.

Thanks must go to Mr Jon Gibbs-Smith for his help and support in building this web site. Mr Tommy Henderson (Chairman) said “This is going to be a great innovation to the running of the  museum.”

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Visit of the Lord Lieutenant
The Lord Lieutenant of this district Sir Michael Ross on this annual tour of Dalbeattie visited our museum. He was met by the Chairman Mr Tommy Henderson who in turn introduced him to most of the volunteers that help run the museum throughout he year. This was the first time in 20years any official visit to the museum had taken place.

He was most impressed with what he saw. He wished us every success in our new venture, and hoped the new extension to our premises would encourage lots more visitors this coming year.
After coffee and biscuits he thanked everyone and congratulated the trust on the enthusiasm and dedication of its members to achieve a museum of such a high standard and to the preservation of all that Dalbeattie had added to the economy of the District in the past. His last remark was “I will be back!”.

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Keep watching this space. Thank you.

Tommy Henderson
Chairman