Captain John Hunter Auld Kirk Ayr

[AJampoler]

I'm nearly through writing a book ("Horrible Shipwreck!" to be published in December) about the wreck of the female convict transport "Amphitrite," lost off Boulogne in August 1833. All but three aboard the vessel drowned.

The master (John Hunter, of Ayr), the surgeon-superintendent, and nearly a third of the women aboard were Scots.

Hunter's family raised a monument to his father, mother and siblings in the Auld Kirk, Ayr, which lists birth and death dates for them. I have the text of that monument from a source, which indicated on a small, hand drawn map of the church yard that it's located between the kirk and the river in site "no. 333."

I've attempted to get a photo of that monument without success.

Is anyone on TalkingScot familiar with the Church, or can anyone suggest how I might be able to get this photo to illustrate the book?

Thanks for your consideration, and happy new year

Andrew Jampoler
Leesburg, Virginia

[WilmaM]

Your 1st port of call would be the Auld Kirk's website http://www.auldkirk.org/

Although I couldn't see any reference to your quest, the graveyard looks very well tended so if the monument isthere it should be easy to find, or the Kirk may be able to help you.

However our weather here is terrible so any potential photographers may need to dig it out of the snow!

[JustJean]

Being from the same side of the pond as you I decided to google around and find some online images of the auld kirk....and after finding a very neat spooky looking one on the flickr website posted by a member named dalgarven http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalgarven/3481674784/ ....my slething skills kicked into gear and I looked for a way to contact him. His name appears to be Kenneth Gordon according to the profile....and I'm betting he's the same fellow who is webmaster here: http://www.townendcc.co.uk/contactus.html A photographer who lives in Ayrshire and who takes really nice photos.....that's where I'd begin....

Best wishes
Jean

[AJampoler]

Wilma, thanks for your prompt response.

I've not been able to get anyone at the Kirk's website to respond either to queries or to phone calls, and an initiative through your local camera club has come up dry, too. (Sadly, I neglected to go to Ayr myself when I was in Scotland on a research trip for the book over the summer.)

Is the kirk an active congregation? Do you know if there is someone there with responsbility for the surrounding graves and monuments?

Perhaps you can suggest how I might be able to contact a history student or someone else interested in local history to try to nail this down.

Thanks for your help and interest. Sorry about your weather. Here only an inch of snow on the ground (after 18" last week, unusual for us) but it is fiercely cold. With best wishes, Andy

[AJampoler]

Jean, I'll try that. Thanks a lot, Andy

[LesleyB]

....my slething skills kicked into gear and I looked for a way to contact him.

As far as I'm aware if you already have one, or sign up for a (free) Yahoo/Flickr account you can contact other Flickr-ites easily.

Best wishes
Lesley

[AJampoler]

Hello again Lesley, I've since sent emails to the camera club and to the photographer directly. I'm hopeful that one or the other will respond, despite wretched weather.

I've tried to contact the club before, and one member tried to locate the monument site, I think, but nothing came of that. Perhaps the second try will be more productive.

Happy New Year, Andy

[Currie]

Hello Andy,

I thought I’d check to see if the Google Camera Car had driven past but no such luck. Maybe one day when it runs out of streets it’ll do the cemetery rows. http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=en&i ... 01521&z=19

Happy New Year,
Alan

[AJampoler]

Alan, interesting idea. The map I have of the churchyard shows it to be (as you'd expect) quite crowded. A drive by shot of the perimeter is all that would be possible, and from what I have, the monument is well inside the grounds. Thanks for the idea, though, and Happy New Year, Andy

[Maisie]

Hello Andy

Some nice photos of the Auld Kirk on this website, with names and contacts for the photographers. May be worth a try in case they have others.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=10033067

Maisie