Archives » Markinch

Plaque at 252 Memorial Hall, Markinch

The hall was built as a memorial to the employees of Tullis Russell & Company who died in the Great War.

An external plaque was unveiled there in November 2023 recording that fact:-

Memorial Plaque, 252 Hall, Markinch 1

I posted about the 252 Hall before, here.

 

Ibrox Disaster Memorial, Markinch

I have posted before about the memorial to the five boys from Markinch who died in the Ibrox Disaster.

Earlier this year a fence was erected around the memorial in order to protect it from accidental damage. (Delivery vans had been going over the grass surrounding it.)

The gravel laid round it sets it off well.

Memorial to Ibrox Disaster, Markinch

Ibrox Disaster Memorial, Markinch

Ibrox Disaster Memorial, Markinch

Robert Frederick Balfour Memorial Plaque, Markinch Parish Church

Robert Frederick Balfour was a scion of the Balfours of Balbirnie House, Markinch. He died at Gheluvelt in Flanders, 28/10/1914.

Markinch Parish Church was formerly known as St Drostan’s Church.

Robert Frederick Balfour Memorial, Markinch Parish Church

I featured other War Memorial plaques in St Drostan’s here.

 

Bridge over the Back Burn, Markinch

In March we were wandering down the Back Burn quite near to our house and I spotted a small bridge which I had previously never noticed. Mind you it was almost totally concealed by greenery and in summer it will be much more so.

Concealed Bridge Over Back Burn, Markinch

View of burn from bridge:-

Back Burn Near Markinch

Other side of bridge:-

Back Burn, Markinch, Concealed Bridge

A bit downstream there is this sluice gate which I may have posted before (but it’s not evident on a quick search):-

Sluice, Back Burn near Markinch

Markinch, Art Deco Style Former Church

In George Street, Markinch, is this former church building now a private house. It may have been a United Free Church.

Markinch, Art Deco Style Former Church

There’s rule of three in the (replaced) windows and 1930s style in the doors but the cross above the doors and the style of the portico both suggest deco.

There’s another photo of it on the web.

252 Memorial Hall, Markinch

252 Memorial Hall, Markinch

The 252 Hall in Markinch was erected by local employer Tullis Russell & Company as a memorial to twenty-four of their employees who died in the Great War.

Name plate above left hand window:-

Name Plate, 252 Memorial Hall, Markinch

In 1993 the hall was handed over for use by uniformed organisations (Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies etc,) but is also available for hire by other local societies.

Dedication Plaque, 252 Memorial Hall, Markinch

Sanctuary Wood Cemetery (Lest We Forget)

Sanctuary Wood Cemetery is one of the many Imperial (later Commonwealth) War Graves Commission cemeteries that lie in the countryside around Ypres (Ieper) in Belgium.

It lies near T’Hooghe (Hooge) off the Canadalaan (Canada Lane) itself coming off the Meenseweg (the Menin Road of dreadful memory.) Buried or commemorated in the cemetery are 1,989 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War of whom 1,348 are unidentified. For information about the cemetery see here.

I note from the link that this cemetery is the resting place (in Plot IV. D. 14) of Captain Robert Frederick Balfour, 1st Battalion Scots Guards who died on 28th October 1914, aged 31. He was the son of Edward Balfour, of “Balbirnie,” Markinch, Fife. I live a couple of hundred yards or so from the Balfours’ former home, Balbirnie House.

Sanctuary Wood Cemetery entrance:-

Entrance, Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, Hooge, near Ypres

Stone of Remembrance and Cross of Sacrifice from entrance:-

Stone of Remembrance and Cross Sacrifice, Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

Information board:-

Information Board, Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

Graves:-

Graves, Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

Graves from south:-

Sanctuary Wood Cemetery Graves from South

I found one German War grave in the cemetery, Flieg Hauptmann Hans Roser, F Fliegerabt 3, 25/7/1915:-

German War Grave, Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

Just outside Sanctuary Wood Cemetery there is a private memorial in memory of Keith Rae, 2nd Lieutenant, 8th Battalion the Rifle Brigade, “who died on this spot, 30/7/1915, in his 26th year.” “Also in memory of his brother officers and men who fell on the same morning and afternoon.”

No individual memorials were/are allowed inside Imperial/Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries. Whatever their differences in life (not least in military rank) in death it was decided that all should be treated equally, with identical headstones. Apart from name rank, number and their regimental insignia (and a special marking in the shape of that award if the deceased had won a Victoria Cross) only an inscription chosen by the deceased’s family and situated to the bottom of the headstone distinguishes one from another.

I presume this memorial was allowed by the Belgian authorities since it lies beyond Sanctuary Wood Cemetery’s boundaries:-

Private Memorial Outside Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

War Dedications, North Hall Cemetery Markinch

North Hall Cemetery is the older of Markinch’s two cemeteries lying to the north east of the town.

In it I discovered two dedications to Great War fallen.

The first was of two brothers (I assume) Captain John Drysdale Tullis, 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, wounded in action First Battle of Ypres, 11/11/1914, died on 18/11/1914. Buried at Wimereux and Captain William Tullis, 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, who fell in action at the Battle of the Somme near La Boiselle, France, 1/7/1916. The Tullis family through its paper mill latterly known as Tullias Russell was one of the main employers in the town until very recently.

War Dedications, North Hall Cemetery Markinch

Sergeant John Terras, during the Great War, died at the General Military Hospital Vancouver, British Columbia, 9/4/1918, aged 45:-

North Hall Cemetery, Markinch, War Dedication

A New View of St Drostan’s Church, Markinch

A building known as the Wayfarers, a pub which once had this notice in its window, and used to be notorious for hosting Country and Western nights every Sunday where people turned up in all the gear, had been struggling for years and finally shut its doors about two or three years ago. Earlier this year demolition started and was completed at the end of April/beginning of May.

There was then revealed this view of Markinch’s Parish Church, St Drostan’s, sitting on top of its hill.

St Drostan's Church, Markinch

How long this view will be available who knows? The owners will have something in mind for the site no doubt.

The Back Burn, Balbirnie Park (iii)

The Back Burn, see here and here, runs through the old Balbirnie estate and on past Markinch.

Just near where we live it passes through a declivity. The burn isn’t easily spotted in this photo:-

Back Burn, Balbirnie, Fife

It’s just to the bottom at the right here:-

Back Burn , Balbirnie, Fife, Scotland

It flows over some rocks about halfway along:-

Back Burn, Balbirnie, Fife, Scotland

There are some flatter stretches too:-

Back Burn, Balbirnie, Fife

Balbirnie, Fife, Back Burn

Then it forms a barrier cutting off the golf course’s 18th fairway from the green.

Further on, looking back from beyond the golf course’s car park, you can see a second old bridge across the burn which was not undermined in the floods I mentioned here.

Back burn + bridge, Balbirnie, Fife

Another cascade:-

Back burn, Balbirnie, Fife

Flowers by the burn’s side:-

Flowers by Back Burn, Balbirnie, Fife

Trees by burn side:-

Back burn, Balbirnie, Fife

You can see the bridle path crossing in this one:-

Back burn, Balbirnie, Fife

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