Artefacts on display

Burgh Seal

The first item, the Burgh Seal, was created by the Burgh Commissioners in 1895. It was part of the Cove & Kilcreggan Town Council’s stationery equipment until the local government reorganisation of 1975 did away with the town council. Since then in the custody of Ivy Sutherland who has kept it safely stowed (in its original box) under her hall stand. Its most frequent use in recent years (possibly ever) was to stamp the inside page of “A Victorian Burgh”. Now it proudly sits on the north facing window sill of the Commissioners Room on a lovely oak base, courtesy of Michael Dryden.  

The Provost’s Spade

The second item to be placed on display is Provost Clark’s Ceremonial Spade. This has a more chequered history.

Since the renovation of Cove Burgh Hall’s Commissioners Room in 2001 its walls have been adorned with several historical plaques and pictures of local interest. One picture, dated 30th November 1881, is “Cutting the first sod of Cove & Kilcreggan Waterworks”. The picture was one of a series taken by photographer George Bell of Argyll Street, Glasgow to record the auspicious event. They were put on display for purchase by Angus McAllister, pier master and then they disappear from the historical record.

Today a second photograph survives. It was taken at Ivyhill, the Provost’s home, where cake and wine were served after the ceremony but, sometime in its long life, it received long exposure to sunlight and most of the detail is completely obliterated. The fate of the other photographs in the series is unknown but, not withstanding life’s amazing propensity to randomly achieve the impossible; it is fair to assume they are lost to posterity. So, until the impossible randomly occurs those who cherish the history of Cove & Kilcreggan must be content with the one good photograph. And what a wonderful picture of Victorian society it represents: social comment of the highest order, its survival to the present day is a blessing thanks again (in part) to Ivy Sutherland. It shows at the centre and at the top of the social tree Provost Clark holding an engraved ceremonial spade presented to him by Mr Quin the contractor of works standing on his left. At either side is arrayed an incredible cross section of the local population: well-to-do behatted gentlemen near the centre (besporting various styles of hat), several well attired ladies (one of whom may be the Provost’s wife), a minister or two (judging from the dog collars), a gentleman with facial likeness of Mr McCracken, Town Clerk and schoolmaster, a well dressed child (probably his own), close by him. Other village worthies and their children stare out from the centre of this wonderful photograph. Then proceeding outward and down the social ranks, it depicts the local street urchins at the periphery. In the background to the right of dense bushes two ladies standing at the door of a cottage which may, with a little conjecture, be Ferry Cottage, Kilcreggan. This picture has held a fascination for me. I have perused it on many occasions and pondered at length on the hundred or so faces staring back at me from the past.

The Helensburgh & Gareloch Times of 1880/81 carried several detailed accounts of progress on the Cove & Kilcreggan Water Scheme including the lengthy, amusing speech made by Provost Clark when the spade was presented to him. The speech is printed verbatim and includes bracketed applause and laughter as appropriate. It then goes on to describe the subsequent proceedings of the day. It was extremely gratifying to be able to bring the picture and the newspaper article together but I went on to ponder the fate of the ceremonial spade. I believe I subconsciously harboured the vague notion that it might one day turn up to enhance the record of Cove & Kilcreggan’s burgh history.

The résumé is displayed next to the ceremonial spade and the picture in the Commissioners Room. It explains how it was returned to Cove & Kilcreggan from Corrie on the Isle of Arran but how why or when the ceremonial spade was transported to Arran in the first place is not known. Brief research into Provost Clark’s antecedents for any link with the Isle of Arran has come to nought. Provost Clark remained a resident of Ivy Hill, Kilcreggan until his death as an octogenarian in 1890 but his obituary gives no family information other than the fact that his wife survived him. If his grave was to be located its inscription may reveal details of other family members occupying the same final resting place. This in turn might prove helpful to further research. However, a search of both Barbour and Rosneath Cemeteries has revealed nothing. So, for the present the details of the spade’s journey to Arran remains a mystery unlikely to be solved.

The spade is not in pristine condition. It shows signs of slight usage:  The blade is slightly bent, its cutting edge has a few small dints and the EPS silver plate on the back of the blade is partially worn. In my view this adds to its interest. The damage may have occurred at the ceremony if 1881 when, at one o’clock on the November Saturday afternoon Provost Clark cut the first sod of the water scheme. Alternatively, someone during the time of its lost history may have used it to dig their potato patch. Who knows? Meanwhile, it is extremely gratifying that the ceremonial spade has returned and is on display in its place of origin. Due thanks go to Lyle Craig and Maureen Purdie for their involvement.