Old Kippford 1808/09

This interesting set of photographs was taken by Mr John Hume whilst on holiday about 1908/9 - he died in 1923. They are of very good quality for photography of that era and have been given to the Club (through Gordon Daly) so that members can view them.

John's father William Hume came from Kippford and his family appear to have been seafarers, William's brother was drowned in the Bristol Channel in the 1890's when on a Kippford owned boat..

The Hume family were intermarried with another Kippford family, the McKnights. Betty (Hume) McKnight ran the village Grocery Store pictured below.

The schooner on its mooring is the 'North Star'. This was a Welsh vessel which went ashore on Barnhourie Sands during a gale. She was abandoned as a total wreck and lay on the sands for a long time until Bell, a wood merchant of Dalbeattie, bought her. She was salvaged by some of the "Dookers" who brought her round to the Scaur where John Cumming repaired her. Bob Hannah, who belonged to the Urr, sailed her for many years for Bell. Eventually she was laid up at Kippford and after lying there for years was burned out. This is the old wreck you can see west of the pier on the mud. Additional information kindly supplied by John Searl.