[Visitor information] [Visitor Notes] [Visitor Memories]

Your notes and information

Hi just a quick note my granny was Jessie scrimgeour who was born in 1896 at the ponds, I have some photos that I will forward to you . I am just putting a family tree together so as I will post anything that might interest you . Colin Mackay

I have found the information on your site about  Stormontfield very interesting. I am wondering if you are able to tell me if I  am likely to  find any kind of information about a direct ancestor of mine,  who was described as a 'miller' at Innerbuist Stormontfield.

John Gould was living in Scone certainly from  1790s  to 1840s. (Almost certainly born there c 1758) He was buried at  New Scone in 1848. In the 1841 Census New Scone he was still recorded as a  miller aged 83.  I believe that he must have been a miller at  Innerbuist for many years, and would be very interested to find any  information on flour mills in the area at the time, as regards working  conditions etc. I hope that you don't mind me asking you. I just  wondered if there are local records, although I suspect if there are any  they  will be held in the Perth Library Archives.    Regards Isobel Jones

Wingfield-Stratford, Oxford

I am Peter, a Stewart-Sandeman descendant, my mother Anne S-S was  brought up at Stanley and I am assembling a lot of material I have here  on history of the Stanley and Luncarty mill activities since the  earliest days. .....  According to Mr Lindsey of Stanley the Lade works from Cambusmichael was  built at the same period as the Stanley Mills about 1800. That suggests  the use of water-power at Stanley was even more widespread than hitherto  suggested. I heard of plans to again return the lade to use to generate  electric power at Stormontfield. The two E bank Mills and their original  power arrangements seem worth further investigation.    -    Full article on the Lade page
Regards P. Wingfield-Stratford, Oxford

26/04/2010
Joanne Clements

My name is joanne clements, my father is hamish fraser (james nicol) son of alexander and pauline, i have just visited your website as i was curious to find any information on my grandfather alexander fraser ferryman at waulkmill, i found your website very interesting and printed some pages off to show my dad, he remembers peter soutar very well and was in his element recalling past times with me, i intend continuing on researching my family history and intend visiting waulkmill in the near future i was so pleased to find your website

21/02/2010
Nicky McIntyre

Hi my name is Nicky McIntyre, I am interested in  finding out about Robert Mackenzie before he was a partner in the mill and also  anything you could tell me after as well. I work at Earlshall Castle, Leuchars  which he bought as a ruin and paid Robert Lorimer to design..    Thanks in advance

11/06/2009
Duncan Stewart

Dear Pauline, whilst browsing the web I came across your website. I  quickly recognised my relation's name from the 1851 census. James Stewart was my  3rd great grandfather and Charles Stewart being my 2nd.  James and his wife  were still living there when the 1861 census was taken. It is amazing  to get an insight into their lives via historical records and the like and I  look forward to visiting the area later in the year.   Thank you for the information provided on your  website.
All the very best, Duncan Stewart

14/05/2009
Peter Scott  jnr

Dear Sir or Madam. Whilst looking through the photos on your  website I have found some photos containing my father and was  wondering if the was any possibility of obtaining copies. The photos in question  are 'school 1934' and 'December 1939 - Dance in Stormontfield School' . My  father was Peter Scott, who sadly died when I was 14 years old and I do not  have any photos of him at that time. Could you please contact me by either email  or telephone on ... or write to me at (details supplied).
Many Thanks.    Peter Scott (Jnr)

Hi Pauline,

Yes my mother was the daughter of John Morgan and Annie Clark Sturrock and was born after her fathers death in March 1916. My mother became a hairdresser in Perth and moved to Manchester where she married my father James Alfred Savage in 1939. I will send you you more info when I sort out some photos for you.
Neil

see note on memories page:      Thank you for writing; how exciting to have some pieces of the story fitted into place. I will assume Corporal Morgan  was your Mother's Father, how does she relate to the Scrimgeours? ....  Pauline

29/03/2009
Alexandra (Sandra) Aitken (nee Baxter)

Hello, I purchased a copy of the book "Bleachfields  of Perth" yesterday and found it fascinating. I decided to look up your web site  as I knew that I was born at Stormontfield. I discovered that Mr Soutar was born  in Hillhouse Cottages in 1936, imagine my amazement when I looked up my birth  certificate and found that I was born there in 1956! Do you have any information  on the cottages and are they still standing? My mum  says they were just  behind the big house, but I know no more than that. Would be grateful  if anyone has more information.
Many thanks Alexandra (Sandra) Aitken (nee  Baxter)

06/02/2009
Martin Beek

Thanks Pauline,
please feel free to use any of my material such as it is. I must say the area is a lovely one
and have spent a few hours by the bank in these parts. I could find little evidence of the
old mill, probably on or by the spot of the little bridge, but if one looks at the Millais painting
one can see it was of a traditional type, there is an old photo which may well be of the mill
in a Millais photo album, I'll sort it out for you to see and say if  this is it. There was a lot
of fishing here (which was Millais main reason apart from painting) being here
in 1870's.
Kind regards Martin
You may view some of my illustrations on
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/oxfordshire_church_photos/

Dear Pauline,
 I visited your site with plenty of information on  Stormontfield. I'd be interested to see a picture if any  exists of the old corn mill featured in Millais' Flowing  to the river (1871). As you can see from my set on Flickr.com I've photographed the spots where Millais painted his two landscapes, the Flowing to the river is harder to identify the exact place where his easel stood as the spot is overgrown, and the stream level appears lower these days now the mill is gone.  Anyway if you want to link in with my site on the landscapes that'd be fine.
Yours sincerely Martin Beek
Flowing to the Sea and Flowing to the River by  Millais
 

23/11/2008
Andrew Templeton

Pauline, I noticed on the Sormontfield site that a lady called Shelley Innes  enquired last year about a Peter Marshall who was keeper of the salmon  ponds in the second half of the 19th century.

Peter was my great-great grandfather and I have copies of his birth  and marriage records plus his death certificate. I would be happy to  pass these to Shelley if she has not already got access and would be  keen to find out if Shelly obtained any other biographical information  on Peter - do you know if she received any replies via the site?

One other question, do you know where Peter might have been buried or  indeed where Stormontfield residents would normally be interred in  those days?
                                                Kind regards, Andrew Templeton

08/11/2008
Marilyn MacDonald

Dear Pauline
We learned only a few days ago that my husband's great-uncle was the last ferryman at Stormontfield.  As I have been researching the family tree for some years, I couldn't resist the urge to find out more and came upon your wonderful website.  It has given me such a lot of information and even some photos to add to our family history and I only wish that there were more sites like this as they would help to enrich the stories from the past.
On Peter Souter's page he mentions the ferryman and I can provide a little more information.  His name was Alexander Fraser and he had been a gamekeeper on the Mansefield Estate before becoming ferryman.  I didn't know of his son Hamish (James Nicol Fraser) until today though I knew his wife was Pauline and he had at least three other children, Sandy,Elizabeth and Florence.
My husband's 82 year old uncle will be delighted when I pass all this information on as he has lost touch with the family.
Thank you and keep up the good work!                                Kindest regards  Marilyn MacDonald

Hi Pauline,  I  intentionally avoided mentioning the specific farm/farmer just in case he  happened to be a friend of yours but  I will now take that risk. It was not  in the immediate Stormontfield area but was  at Loanfolds Farm. I had  approached from the Berryhill direction with the intention of passing  through  Loanfolds farm yard to Druids' Seat Wood. In truth this farmer has  right on his side  in his objection. He is strictly correct  that The  Access Code does not give me the right  to pass  through his farm yard. Many farmers have allowed access in the past and continue  to allow access now. Without local knowledge or indicative signage how is one to  know that they disapprove? In this particular case, as you may know, he has a  very noisy dog and a sign along the lines of "Don't worry about the dog. Worry  about the owner." This sign is on the main access track side of the yard, i.e.  the Druids Seat Wood side, so I only saw it on exiting the yard.  I had  rather taken the sign as an indication of a man with a sense of  humour. My  interpretation was incorrect.  The bottom line is that  this farmer is  correct, and I will not attempt to pass through his farm yard.   Regards,   Iain Miller

3/9/2008
Iain Miller

Hi, I have visited your website several  times since first visiting Stormontfield to reconnoitre a walk route along the  River Tay and lade then a loop away from the river. I searched out information  because I was intrigued by several aspects of the village and its  surroundings. village of mainly modern houses, but with that long, long  lade, references to fishponds, mills, bleachfields etc. I just had to find  out.

I think your website is probably  the most informative of its kind that I have ever encountered. On  the whole it is easy to navigate and use. I have had some problems fitting text  onto printed pages, until I found the right click/this frame/show only this frame combination which fitted the text onto the printed page for  me.

I am involved with the Historical Society  in my local, history steeped, village and I only wish we had the motivation and  capability to produce something along those lines for our village.

Congratulations. Iain Miller ( Kinghorn, Fife )

P.S. I was well pleased with the walk route I found,  which I rewalked several times until  just over a month ago I  encountered a farmer who had very strong objections to my  presence

3/6/2008
Peter Soutar

Dear Pauline,  Many thanks for your e-mail, I'm afraid I don't have any photo's of the corn mill, only of the bleach works before and after the fire. Sent to me by John Black (2nd cousin). I only have two distinct memories of the place. One is that it was used by the home guard as an indoor firing range, and two--During a session of threshing at the mill my younger cousin Andrew Christie (aged four or five) fell from the upper floor of the storage barn and broke a leg.  He was placed in a farm cart (not sure if it was horse or tractor drawn) and taken back to stormontfield (nearest telephone) where someone arranged for a car to take him to Perth infirmary, no ambulances in those days.   p.S. I would like to add my thanks to you and all who set up this website, who would have thought that such a small place (it's not even on most maps) would spark so much world-wide interest.             Regards Peter Soutar

20/6/08
David Niven

Hello Pauline, Whilst doing some family research I came across your website. I found this very interesting particularly the bleaching works section. My great grandfather James Niven worked and resided in Stormontfield, as did several members of his family. I discovered numerous references to Stormontfield on census returns for the Niven and Bisset families. I noted that both a William and John Bisset are mentioned on your website and these could be family members. I also have census records for these individuals.  As an example I can trace the life of James Niven on census returns from 1841 to 1901, as highlighted below :

1833 James Niven born Coupar Angus              More of this article on Old Community page.

24/3/2008
Peter Soutar

Further to my epistle on the secret weapon i.e the mortar bomb thrower which nearly sunk the bosses car. I remember another occasion when it was decided the defenses of Storry ought to be tested.  More of this story on Visitor Memories page.

Through the Stormontfield Heritage site, I have been fortunate enough to contact and finally meet a second cousin , Peter Sowden, whose existence I was totally unaware of.  We invited him down from London to visit us in Portsmouth.  The visit was a great success, we exchanged anecdotes, genealogy information and photographs. Thank you Stormontfield Heritage.

1/12/2007
Peter Soutar

Dear Pauline, many thanks for passing on Peter Sowdens address I will contact him straight away, meanwhile I will search my long forgotten memory banks for any more information on Storries last ditch army. Did you know for instance that there is or was a small crater somewhere in the woods surrounding hill house?  A bomb ditched by a fleeing German bomber narrowly missed taking out our very own "captain Mainwaring".   That was Stormontfields' only actual experience of the war.

28/11/07
Iain Elder
Suffolk

Dear Pauline,  My Dad was visiting the other week and I visited the site with him. We were looking through the school photos and he has identified a lot of the children in the (supposed) 1944 photo. Dad is the wee lad stood at the right hand end of the centre row. As he was born in 1928 he is absolutely positive that this picture is 1934 ish as he attended the village schoolfrom the age of 5 and he is certainly about 5 or 6 in this picture (picture and names on the School Photos page).
 
I don't know if this is useful or not, but I can assure you that my Dad - 80 years young next March - was really taken with the memories that the site evoked in him.      With best wishes, Iain Elder, Suffolk

11/5/2007
Peter Soutar

I have just re-visited the site and it has brought back quite a few memories.  One in particular was, as a young lad along with others of my age (5 years old) we would follow and watch the Stormontfield home guard as they drilled and practised "manoeuvres" in preparation to defend "Storrie" in case of invasion.  More of this story on Visitor Memories page.

19/04/2007
Shelley Innes
Cambridge

Hello, I am trying to get biographical information on Robert Buist who was Superintendent of the Stormontfield piscicultural experiments, 1853–66 and on Peter Marshall who was the keeper of Stormontfield pond at around the same time. The information I have is from a report written by Buist and from William Brown's 1862 book ‘The natural history of the salmon’, as ascertained by the recent experiments in the artificial spawning and hatching of the ova and rearing of the fry, at Stormontfield, on the Tay. If you have any further biographical details (birth and/or death dates, etc.) I would be grateful to have them. Buist has been confused with another person of the same name who emigrated to America and wrote on gardening, so I know that many sources give the wrong dates. Many thanks for your help.                  Yours sincerely  Shelley Innes

27/01/2007
Karen Alexander  (Hutchison)
Australia

Hi Pauline, Just a quick note to say a very big thank you to both you & your Husband in having us all into your home & taking the time out in showing us about Stormontfield as it certainly bought back lots of great memories and was one of the highlights of our recent Holiday. I am still going to arrange to do a sketch ( mud map ) of how both Mum & myself remember Stormontfield and will post this off to you in due course. I have also attached some pictures of both my family ( the Hutchison's ) & of the Husbands which I hope you can use on your web site. I had previously sent off School photo's from 1969 so please let me know if you need further copies of any of these or if I can assist with any questions that you might have.  Again many thanks & I hope that we can talk again soon.      Regards Karen Alexander,Sydney, Australia

21/01/2007
Michael & Brenda Moore
East Sussex

We have been coming up to Scotland for 50 years and love it, although we cannot walk as much as we used to we still enjoy the train journeys and seeing the many species of wildlife that you have. Many places we have visited but have never found the peacefulness of the little ruin in the middle of nowhere called Cambusmichael.                                Remainder on Visitor Memories Page

16/01/2007
Anne Stewart Ball
New Zealand

Pauline, The actual paper of James Stewart " Notes on the Introduction and Acclimatization of the Salmon can be read on the New Zealand National Library Site Royal Society New Zealand articles and proceedings as follows
http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_08/rsnz_08_00_001150.html
Have inserted photograph for you also. Great grandfather was about 67 years old when this photograph was taken. He was President of the Auckland Institute a number of terms, Governor of the New Zealand Institute and on a special science committee. I shall pass more information on the salmon farming to you once have sorted it. Okoroire in New Zealand where the salmon was introduced was more successful with trout also introduced by the same people - Firth, Nathan and Great Grandfather who oversaw design and construction Hamilton Rotorua Railway. I am writing his biography which is a hugh task. Cheers, Anne

06/01/2007
Anne Stewart Ball
New Zealand

My research for a bibliography on my great grandfather James Stewart, Civil Engineer shows he had involvement with the salmon breeding ponds in 1853. At the time he worked under Mr. P.D. Brown,M.Inst,Civil Engineer of Perth. Mr. Brown designed these. James Stewart was later in New Zealand to be part of the introduction by Mr. Firth of Salmon to the rivers here, along with trout. Great grandfather wrote a paper on this which he read to the Auckland Institute in 1875.                             Regards

2/12/2006
Eddie Clark,
 Houston

My name is Eddie Clark and we lived at Colenden from 1953-55, when I was 8-10 years old.  My sister, Margaret, started school there.  We lived in the cottage second from the end, next to the Tates.

10/09/2006
Karen Alexander  (Hutchison)
Australia

My name is Karen Alexander nee Hutchison. My family consisted of myself , my mother Margaret, father David and brothers Kevin and Scott.  We lived in Stormontfield in the 60's before emigrating to Sydney Australia in Jan 1971. We were devastated when we heard of the fire 6 months later and to this day mum still has the newspaper clipping sent to us by a family member.
My parents both worked in the Bleach works and my brother Kevin and I attended the local one teacher school run by Mrs Bathgate with Mrs Walker the farmer's wife preparing our school dinners. Mr Bathgate from memory used to do all the odd jobs around the school and was always happy to stop for a chat when an inquisitive child would have a hundred questions that needed answered.
 Mr Walker was the farmer and Miss Betty and Miss Jenny were the land ladies who had a canny knack of knowing when we were climbing trees when we weren't supposed to be.                                                                           (remainder of article on Visitor Memories Page)

31/3/2006
Peter Soutar

While recently re-visiting the Stormontfield website I was pleasantly surprised to come across the article by Peter Sowden ...      (remainder of article on Visitor Memories Page)

31/3/2006
Bob & Phoebe Kempson
Scotland

Hi Pauline,  I thought I should write to say how interesting we found the Stormontfield website.  Well done!   L, B&P      (Photos supplied added to River Tay & Colenhaugh pages)

24/2/2006
Stuart Taylor
Oxon

As promised, here is a trawl of my photos.       Stuart         (added to Colenden Page)

11/11/2005
Peter Sowden
London

My grandfather, William Soutar (1877-1968), was born in Field Cottages.  He spoke very
fondly of Stormontfield as a lovely place to grow up.  His father Walker Soutar
(1844-1907) was stoker of the boiler/"fireman" at the Mill.  
                                                                         More on the Visitor Memories page.

24/10/2005
George Watson
Canada

Guest book entry.  Visitor to Stormontfield Heritage.

15/10/2005
Heather Wallace
Australia

formally Shepherd of Hill House

30/9/2005
Stuart Taylor
Oxon

We used to spend all of the summer in Colenden, sleeping in a large hut in the garden to the sound of a waterfall from the burn at the bottom of the garden. My memories are of playing from dawn to dusk (and later) in the woods behind the cottages, fishing in the burn, pumping water from a pump in Colenden, harvest time, and "helping" with the stooks, and school.    (More on the Visitor Memories page)

23/07/2004
Will Conway
Scotland

Well, I’ve lived here for four years and still learned something from this site.  Nice One, P+D.

21/06/2004
Mary Mcleish
Scotland

I spent the first 7 1/2 years of my life at the Boag Cottages, in Sept1948 my family moved to the
 "top of the hill" Innerbuist Cottages where I stayed until 1960. My parents were Harry and
Meg McLeish, they moved from there after the fire in 1971.      More on the Visitor Memories page.

18/06/2004
Willaim Smith
GB

Interesting - I happened upon your page while trying to sort out my Campsie ancestors - A William Campsie born in Scone in 1814 !! married to Jean Mckinnon.

17/06/2004
Dugald F. Campbell
Robert Douglas Memorial School, Scone,. GB

Came accross the site while looking for Scone Australia for a link to the Robert Douglas Memorial School of which I am Headteacher.  I have put a link to this site on our school web site for interest.                                            (see links page for link to this site)

1/6/2005
Anita MacLennan
GB

Guest book entry.  Visitor to Stormontfield Heritage.

19/05/2004
James William Murray
Scone Palace, Perth. GB

I am the youngest of the old Murrays (Mansfields) at Scone Palace, where I grew up. I loved finding your great website, and like many others appreciate the lovely photos and information you have garnered.

18/4/2005
Gregor  J  McAdam
Forres, Moray

My grand father  used to live at number 17 and i just thought id take a look if they had anything  on it. Been many a time and lots of fond memories there, especially with my  young friend Ewan Hamilton from next door. I remember falling into the lade many  a time. HA HA HA

18/3/2005
Nolene  Lossau
Johannesburg,South Africa

I chanced upon your great webpage whilst researching my PALMER ancestors of  Perthshire. I have a direct connection with Stornontfield in that one of my  direct ancestors, Charles PALMER had a son Thomas PALMER who was baptised at  Scone on 12 April 1791. Charles PLAMER was reflected in the Scone Parish  registers as being "of Stormontfield". Charles PALMER (who was described as a  labourer on the 1841 census) was married to Mary SHEPPARD and nothing is known  of either of their ancestries prior to the baptism of Thomas and his sister  Christian (9 May 1784 at St Martins). The PALMER family ended up in Kinnoull  & Perth City and did very well for themselves with Thomas PALMER, who  started out as a wright being descibed as "gentleman" on one of his son's  marriage certificate.

I visited Stormontfield a number of years ago and  hope to be back one day!  Best regards

29/02/2004
Janet Stormont Miller
Victoria, TX, US

I am glad to find this site.  I hope to visit Perth and Stormontfield someday.  I wonder if my Stormont ancestors originally came from the area around Perth.  Obviously, we are probably not descended from the original Viscount Stormont, David Murray!      

24/02/2004
Peter Soutar
Portsmouth, Hampshire, GB

I was born at hillhouse cottages in 1936 went to Stormontfield School 1940 to 1945, my father was Walker Soutar from Colenden, my Mother was Mary Christie.  The Christies’ lived upstairs from the Blacks.    

18/02/2004
Allan Ogg
Dundee, GB

Former resident from 1969.

29/12/2003
Waltham
NL

Guest book entry.  Visitor to Stormontfield Heritage.

12/12/2003
Paul O’Keeffe
US

Guest book entry.  Visitor to Stormontfield Heritage.

11/11/2003
John Anderson
Bathgate, GB

I read with interest your site, especially the page devoted to the ferry crossing.  I fish the Waulkmill beat regularly in the spring, and to have information on that particular stretch of the river is very rewarding.

03/11/2003
George Black
-, GB

First time on the site.  Didn’t know it existed, superb site!!  I see my cousin John has helped with contributions to the site.  My late father, Dave Black, was Johns uncle, brother of Jean who features in your current gallery.  If it is of any interest, I have various photos of “Storie” schoodays circa 1926 and assorted family shots.

03/11/2003
Maureen Wallace
-, GB

Hello, browsing through the web site and Mary and I came up with some names for the 1953 class outing - if you are interested.