Bicycles?.....

The History and Geography of Auld Scotia

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Dennis
Posts: 828
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:58 pm

Bicycles?.....

Post by Dennis » Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:24 am

Hello.

Probably an odd question, but thought I'd ask.

Were bicycles ever the primary mode of transportation at any time period in Scotland? Is there a history of the bicycle industry?


dennis
Names of interest: Lennox McKenna Airth Skirving Veitch Laird Drysdale Bennett Colledge Baird Blades Barker Dow Mitchell Perkins Rielly Stewart Tulloch Wright Ure, Ritch Richardson, Whyte
Places of Interest: Dunbarney, Forfar, East London (S.Africa)

LesleyB
Posts: 8184
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:18 am
Location: Scotland

Post by LesleyB » Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:50 am

Hi Dennis
This doesn't answer your question but may be of interest:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_f ... rick.shtml
http://www.webscot.co.uk/greatscots/kir ... millan.htm
http://www.buccleuch.com/pages/content.asp?PageID=81
I had no idea that a bicycle with pedals was a Scottish invention!!
best wishes
Lesley

m
Researching:
Midlothian & Fife - Goalen, Lawrie, Ewart, Nimmo, Jamieson, Dick, Ballingall.
Dunbartonshire- Mcnicol, Davy, Guy, McCunn, McKenzie.
Ayrshire- Lyon, Parker, Mitchell, Fraser.
Easter Ross- McCulloch, Smith, Ross, Duff, Rose.

wini
Posts: 678
Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2005 2:39 pm
Location: West Australia

History & Geography Bicycles

Post by wini » Sun Jan 08, 2006 4:32 am

I don't know if bicyles were ever a primary mode of transport but even as late as the 1950's when my husband was an apprentice Joiner & Carpenter the bike was a common mode of transport. He used to ride to work with his tools on his back as did many others. Of course there was only hand tools then.
that wasn't the case in the Shipyards as they generally caught the tram
Kirkpatrick Macmillan invented the first true bicycle about 1840 in Courthill near Dumfries He also got the first fine on a bicycle. He was fined five shillings for riding his bicycle on the Glasgow pavements and knocking over a child.

You should know the Scots invented an awful lot in the 19th Century.
wini
Munro, McPhee, Gunn, Reid, McCreadie, Jackson, Cree, McFarland,Gillies,Gebbie,McCallum,Dawson
Glasgow, Durness,Kilmuir via Uig, Logie Easter
Old Monkland

JustJean
Posts: 2520
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2004 12:52 am
Location: Maine USA

Post by JustJean » Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:01 am

Hello all

Again not as a primary mode of transportation...but here is a link to a photo in our gallery

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-355

of a bicycle club in Ayr about 1892. I don't know anything about them other than my GrGrandfather was a member and is in the photo I think. I also have his offical membership passes one from the Maybole Cycling Club for the 1892 season naming officers and the rules and consititution of the Club. Also another season pass to the Ayr Cycling Athletic Grounds which is stamped non-transferable and comes with conditions of issue. A third membership pass to the Ayr Cycling Club again for 1892 and this naming the patrons, president, management committee, office bearers and a full 2 pages of rules and regulations. It is noted on the cover that the Willock Cup will be run for August. The Hon. Presidents Prize will be competed for supplemented by badges given by the club and a medal will be given to the member who attends the most evening runs during the months of May, June, July and August.

It sure looks like they took this sport quite seriously :shock:

Best wishes
Jean

LesleyB
Posts: 8184
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:18 am
Location: Scotland

Post by LesleyB » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:21 pm

A picture of Easter Ross Cycling Club from 1889 can be found here (some incredible looking bikes!):
http://www.tainmuseum.org.uk/imagelibra ... e.asp?id=1

Cycle Works, Tain in 1910
http://www.tainmuseum.org.uk/imagelibra ... 9&st=cycle
and an early motor cycle combination (which looks pretty smart!) at:
http://www.tainmuseum.org.uk/imagelibra ... 1&st=cycle

Best wishes
Lesley

m

LesleyB
Posts: 8184
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:18 am
Location: Scotland

Post by LesleyB » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:55 pm

Some Scottish bicycle history here:
http://www.flying-scot.co.uk/history.html

and I wonder if you contacted this group if they could maybe help answer your question?
http://www.scottishcycling.co.uk/

and there's a whole lot of links to various clubs here - again, they might be able to help
http://scotlandinter.net/cycling.htm

According to family story one of my great grand aunts, Elizabeth Jessie Goalen 1868-1952, was supposed to be the first woman cyclist to cycle from Glasgow to Edinburgh in a cycle race. She apparently won a medal, but I've not really looked into this at all so far so if you come across anything relevant please let me know!

Best wishes
Lesley

m
Last edited by LesleyB on Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

nelmit
Posts: 4001
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2004 11:49 pm
Location: Scotland

Post by nelmit » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:59 pm

JustJean wrote:Hello all

Again not as a primary mode of transportation...but here is a link to a photo in our gallery

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-355

of a bicycle club in Ayr about 1892. I don't know anything about them other than my GrGrandfather was a member and is in the photo I think. I also have his offical membership passes one from the Maybole Cycling Club for the 1892 season naming officers and the rules and consititution of the Club. Also another season pass to the Ayr Cycling Athletic Grounds which is stamped non-transferable and comes with conditions of issue. A third membership pass to the Ayr Cycling Club again for 1892 and this naming the patrons, president, management committee, office bearers and a full 2 pages of rules and regulations. It is noted on the cover that the Willock Cup will be run for August. The Hon. Presidents Prize will be competed for supplemented by badges given by the club and a medal will be given to the member who attends the most evening runs during the months of May, June, July and August.

It sure looks like they took this sport quite seriously :shock:

Best wishes
Jean
Hello Jean,

My dad's Cook and Murray families hailed from Maybole-either of those names on the list?

Kind regards,
Annette M

JimM
Posts: 304
Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2005 4:11 pm
Location: Scotland

Post by JimM » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:04 pm

I got an email last week from a newly discovered relative in Australia who told me that my ggg grandmother died in 1916 of injuries received from falling off her bicycle... she was 92 years old at the time. :shock:
researching
McIntyre, Menzies, Cowley, Pearson, Copland, McCammond, Forbes, Edgar etc. in Scotland
Skinner in Northumberland

JustJean
Posts: 2520
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2004 12:52 am
Location: Maine USA

Post by JustJean » Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:28 pm

nelmit wrote: Hello Jean,

My dad's Cook and Murray families hailed from Maybole-either of those names on the list?

Kind regards,
Annette M
Hi Annette

Sorry....your names aren't there. Here is a listing from the Maybole membership pass:

President - Mr. John Clark
Vice President - Bailie Templeton
Capt - W. N. Allan
Vice Capt - R. Kelly
Buglar - D. C. Allan
Committee - W. G. Edgar, W. F. Duff, W. Allan, C. L. Clark, J. G. M'Cubbin, T. K. Allan, T. W. Edgar
Secretary & Treasurer - R. F. Allan

Best wishes
Jean

JustJean
Posts: 2520
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2004 12:52 am
Location: Maine USA

Post by JustJean » Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:31 pm

For those interested....another bit of trivia.....how much did a new bicycle cost in Ayr in 1891?

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... p?pos=-361

Best wishes
Jean

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