Emigration to Canada

“The New Statistical Account of Scotland 1834-45, as relating to the parish of Kilspindie in Perthshire, makes interesting reading,” emails Donald Abbott of Invergowrie. “Essentially, the three main villages of that parish are confirmed as Rait with 47 families, Kilspindie with 18 families and Pitrod(d)ie with 16 families.

“The United Presbyterian Church of the latter, however, was and is in the parish of Errol as was its manse dating from 1808 (occupied today as a private dwelling) and four church cottages. During this early 19th Century period, there was much emigration from this area to Canada and the United States and so 13 houses were empty as a result.

“The total population of Kilspindie parish was 709 at the time of the 1841 Census. Of the families formed by these residents, 155 were involved in agriculture and 133 families in trade, manufacturing or handicrafts.

“The parish kirk was that of Kilspindie and Rait at Kilspindie village and the congregation at Pitroddie was of the Secession dating from 1788; the current roofless ruin seen today is the remnant of the second church building at this location and of 1816 construction. Rait had been a separate parish until joining with Kilspindie parish in the 1600s.

“Pitrodie (its original spelling) had its houses largely condemned as being unfit for human habitation by Perth County Council and they and the village blacksmiths and village shop were all demolished. Some of the former residents were rehoused in County Buildings, Kilspindie village. When Covid restrictions are relaxed, booklets about Pitroddie and Rait can be found at the Perth and Kinross Archive at the AK Bell Library in Perth.” woman writer to earn the honour, thanks to Edinburgh publisher Robert Charteris. In truth, it was only the discovery of her manuscripts and letters in 2003 that brought the true fame and recognition.

“Seven years later, to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Scottish Reformation, a series of public events were staged in her honour including concerts in Culross, Dundee and Dunfermline.

“In 2014, an Elizabeth Melville Day was declared throughout the literary world in Scotland, capped by the laying of a commemorative flagstone in Makar’s Court in Edinburgh. The ceremony was conducted by the Australian writer Germaine Greer, a leading figure in the feminist liberation movement throughout the 20th Century.

“Significantly, the inscription underlined Elizabeth Melville’s talent and philosophy of life and read:

“The poet died in Culross in 1640 at the age of 62.” the docking shores were rigged to tighten instead of slackening when the dock was reflooded and I have photographs of the captain trying to cut them free with a chainsaw!

“He failed, we missed the tide, the public welcome was cancelled and Discovery was set to slink home in darkness on the midnight tide. This didn’t seem right, so I fixed up, at a few hours’ notice, the Auchterhouse Pipe Band on the quayside and a lone piper on board HMS Unicorn, plus as much floodlighting as Discovery’s tiny portable generator would stand.

“The few spectators included our small RNR line-handling party, but it was a magical homecoming for Discovery, gliding in darkness across a glassy calm dock with the welcoming skirl of the pipes echoing across the water.

“It was always my expectation that Unicorn and Discovery would make a Dundee pair. They did for a short time when both prospered in Victoria Dock, but it is increasingly unlikely that the two will ever be together again in our lifetime.”

“This postcard shows how closely Dundee was connected to the Tay,” says Jim Howie, who sent it in. “On the lower left, the corner of Crichton Street can be seen and a solitary railway goods wagon is on the track running close to the dock, which was used by the sand boats. The track then joins the line between the East Station and Tay Bridge and the Caledonian (West) stations. The Royal Arch is prominent in the centre with the Customs House in the distance.”

Pitroddie Church at its closure in 1931. Read more in the column above.