The 'Contact' facility and the three buttons to the right of each message in the guestbook can only be used by the webmaster. If you would like to contact someone who posted a message, please do so via the webmaster (Iain Sommerville) by clicking here. Iain will forward your message to the original poster.

If your message is about family history or tracing relations, you might also find useful pointers on the Family History page.

Submitted by
Name: Simon Taylor
From: Aberdour
Subject: place-names
Email: Contact

Comments:
Dear Iain
Many thanks for putting together such a comprehensive bibliography on Burntisland.You have a 'street names' category (May Williamson's book), but not a place-names one - can I suggest you create one and put in the following:
_The Place-Names of Fife_ Vol. 1 (West Fife between Leven and Forth), Simon Taylor with Gilbert Márkus(2006, Shaun Tyas: Donington) [volume 1 of a five-volume series]. The chapter on Burntisland parish (with maps) is on pp. 184-203.
Best wishes
Simon Taylor

Reply from Iain Sommerville, webmaster:
Thanks, Simon. A good suggestion. That's it added.
Iain

Original message added: October 1, 2012

Submitted by
Name: John Hayes
From: Preston, Lancs. (now) Formerly Kirkcaldy.
Subject: The two joiners in the shipyard.
Email: Contact

Comments:
I think the young joiner on the right is called Robert (Bobby) Thompson. The other one may be called 'Eck' something. I worked at Burntisland Shipyard from 1964-1966 as an apprentice joiner and remember some of the employees.... but not 100% clearly due to time. My first 'Journeyman' joiner I was assigned to was called Dave something and he was the Union official. I remember my first day when I suddenly found myself on strike after a meeting on the park. Another apprentice was nicknamed "Nick the Greek" but I've forgotton his real name. I only remember he lived in Kinghorn. Wullie Penman was my next 'Journeyman' and he lived in Burntisland. Another joiner was called Alan Coulter and he also lived in Kinghorn. My stepdad was was called Jack Masterton and lived in Burntisland. He was a pipefitter at the shipyard while I was there.
If I can remeber some more I will come back and add what I can.
Keep up the good work on this site.

Reply from Iain Sommerville, webmaster:
Thank you very much, John. That's most helpful. I've added your comments to the 'shipyard snapshots' page. I'll let Chris Claydon know as well.

Original message added: September 22, 2012

Submitted by
Name: tracy brand
From: doncaster{{burntisland originally]]]
Email: Contact

Comments:

nice to be back xx

Original message added: September 12, 2012

Submitted by
Name: Wendy Hurley
From: Arizona
Subject: OLD PHOTOS
Email: Contact

Comments:
Looking over the old pictures, there is one at the school of 'Jan of the Windmill' which has no date. It is 1929. I have that picture as my Mother, Edna Peterson is standing around the middle with a star on her head and a long braid/ringlet hanging down over her left shoulder. I think she is holding a doll.

Reply from Iain Sommerville, webmaster:
Many thanks for that, Wendy. I've added your comments to the photo page.

Original message added: August 21, 2012

Submitted by
Name: Mary Martin
From: London
Subject: family from Burntisland
Email: Contact

Comments:
Are there any Breslins or relatives of Breslins still in Burntisland who are related to Dennis Breslin and Elizabeth McQueen who lived there with their several children, including my grandfather, in the early part of the 20th century before moving to South Queensferry?

Original message added: May 22, 2012

Submitted by
Name: Debra Westphalen
From: Mansfield, Victoria Australia
Subject: Family history
Email: Contact

Comments:
Hi,
My name is Debbie Westphalen. I'm researching my family history. I have a relative who came from Burntisland. His name was Andrew Campbell Kirk. The period I am searching is between 1800-1860. He came to Australia in the 1860's. I believe he was a carpenter.
I hope that someone can help me??

Cheers
Deb W

Original message added: February 17, 2012

Submitted by
Name: jon stewart
From: originally from Barrow-in-Furness
Subject: Contact with Allen Stutchbury
Email: Contact

Comments:
Jon Stewart from Alberta, Canada would like to re-establish contact with Allen Stutchbury (formerly of Barrow-in-Furness) now residing in Sydney, Australia. Hope to hear from you, Allen. Jon

Original message added: December 21, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Barbara Lambert
From: Guildford Surrey
Subject: Mackinnon family Burntisland
Email: Contact

Comments:
Dear Iain,
We were delighted to find your website with so much information on it.
We visited Burntisland in the summer and were made very welcome in the Library and were amazed by the Parish church.
Our visit was to look for any connection with my great grandfather Daniel MacKinnon who was apprenticed to a shoe maker in 1851 and turned up in Liverpool 17 years later as a Master Mariner. His father also Daniel worked at the Distillery and the family lived in Young's Wynd, now Lothian Street. He had 5 brothers and 5 sisters so that someone in Burntisland may have him on their family tree. It would be fun to know more.

Reply from Iain Sommerville, webmaster:
Hi Barbara,

You'll by now have heard from my Heritage Trust colleague, John Burnett, with information about a branch of your family in Australia.

I've reorganised the family history page on the website (see under 'Data Sources') to make the section on tracing local relatives more obvious. It's now at the top of the page and contains a few other suggestions you might want to consider.

Good luck!

Iain

Original message added: November 19, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Derek Golding
From: Glengarnock
Subject: Plummer's Lemonade
Email: Contact

Comments:
Blimey - idle moments on internet and I find Tom Plummer's article on the firm. I worked for a few months in 1964 before setting off on a career in science and the Royal Navy. I still remember that short time with fondness as they were long physical days with little stress. Long hours in the lorry alongside Miller Foy (from Rosyth) travelling the central belt, lunchtimes in the bookies, and long days in the plant shifting cases. Gave me a muscle build that made the physical side of my time in the navy relatively easy - so I suppose Plummer's set me on the trail to Commander. Mind you - working for £4 a week was a bit hard on the teenage lifestyle!
Nostalgia buttons pressed by your site - thank you.

Original message added: October 29, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Johan Hardy
From: Cowdenbeath
Subject: Happy childhood memories of Burntisland
Email: Contact

Comments:
My mum and dad bought a caravan in 1960 and it was sited at the Haugh Rd park next to the aluminium works until the mid 70's. We went there every Easter and Summer and my brother and I both loved it. Dad travelled to his work at Rosyth on the back of a local man's motor bike and it seemed like the sun shone all the time!!! Such happy days!I hope when I get to heaven it is Burntisland in the sixties!!! :!cool:

Original message added: October 11, 2011