Can you help to solve the ‘Scottish box of mysteries’?
A woman living in Canada is reaching out to West Lothian to try to trace families who appear in a mysterious box of old photographs she picked up.
Ginette Guy bought the box of snaps at an online auction from a moving company as she does volunteer work with historical and heritage organisations, and expected to trace the pictures back to her home in eastern Ontario.
But she soon realised the pictures – which range from the early 1900s to mid-1950s – were of families living in West Lothian and traced them to Uphall Station and Broxburn, as well as Grangemouth. She set about trying to trace their living relatives and now wants to return them to the families .
She has thrown herself into the project and spent the last few years researching their family trees.
She is also keen to find out how the box of pictures ended up in Canada.
Ginette discovered the pictures are mostly of Anne Watson Gilchrist (19181994) and her husband Henry Leishman (19171991), who was also known as Harry.
Anne was born in Uphall Station to parents Thomas Gilchrist Jr and Isabella Rolland Stein.
Henry was born in Falkirk, and they married in 1941. His parents were David Taylor Leishman and Janet Smith.
Henry (Harry) Leishman was in the Royal Army
Medical Corps during the war and was in India in 1945.
Both Anne and Henry died in Grangemouth. They had two children: David Watson Leishman (1943-1994) and Isabella (1947-2018).
David died in England, but Isabella was in France. There does not appear to be any grandchildren.
Thomas Gilchrist, Anne’s father, worked in the mining industry, so did her maternal grandfather James Stein.
The Stein family lived at 90 Beechwood Cottages, Uphall Station,.
Thomas Gilchrist lived at 76 Station’s Row in Uphall when Anne was born.
Ginette, who stays in Cornwall, Ontario, has been fascinated after picking up her “Scottish box of mysteries” and said: “I believe there were three or four sisters in the Gilchrist family, but I cannot find any records. But there is mention of Robina Gilchrist.
“Through the years and research, I built a family tree on the website Ancestry.ca with photos so anyone doing genealogy could use them.
“I also contacted various groups in the West Lothian area to try and find out more about the photos/families and how they could have possibly end up in Canada.
“I did send military photos to a military museum in Kirknewtown and shared some of the miner’s cottages with the Shale Industry Museum.
“I don’t believe there are any close relatives as there were no grandchildren, but someone somewhere must be related and have those people as ancestors. I have a
number of people claiming Gilchrist heritage but not in a direct line to the ones I have in the photos.
“In the box there were two small pieces of paper work relating to anyone in Canada but no direct link as to how the photos ended up here.”
Ginette continued: “I would like to find an extended family who may be interested in getting these photos back or shared.
“Henry Leishman was a WW2 member of the Royal Army Medical Corps and went to India in 1945.
“Despite reaching out to various groups in Canada and Scotland, I have not been able to link to relatives or find out how the box arrived in Canada.”
Are you related to anyone in the pictures? If so, email debbie.hall@reachplc.com.