Forth Rail Bridge Memorial

                                                                                                                                                                                              On Friday 18th May 2012,Alex Salmond the First Minister of Scotland unveiled two memorials to the men killed in the construction of the Forth Rail Bridge. Located at either end of the bridge in North and South Queensferry,the cast bronze memorials bear the names,ages and occupations of 73 men,known as 'briggers'. Around the base are the the words:

  To the Briggers,past and present who built,restored and continue to maintain this iconic structure.

This event is the culmination of a ten year restoration project by Network Rail and Balfour Beattie and finally sees the bridge for the first time in as many years without scaffolding. Local members of the Queensferry History Group and enthusiasts over the last seven years have trawled through records in archives and newspapers to identify the fatalities.

Construction spanned 1883-1890 and used over 6.5million rivets in the 1.5mile long bridge. This week sees the positioning of the steel caissons for the foundations of the third Forth Bridge due to open in 2016. There are plans to raise funds for similar memorials to commemorate those killed in the Tay Bridge disaster of 1879.

Forth Rail Bridge from South Queensferry

The list of names can be viewed at :

http://www.forthbridgememorial.org/men.htm

http://www.queensferryhistorygroup.org.uk/

Surname Saturday Crichton

Surname Saturday

Crichton

A distinctive Scottish surname of numerous spellings: Creighton,Crighton,Crichten, which is of territorial origin from the barony of Crichton in Midlothian. The earliest recorded witnessed a charter by King David c.1128

Crichton Castle

Heavily involved in Scottish politics during the 14th and 15th centuries, it was Sir William Crichton who brought the family to eminence.He held in succession the offices of Chamberlain, Master of the Household and Governor of Edinburgh Castle and as Chancellor of Scotland, plotted the downfall of the rival House of Douglas. Members of the family acquired land through marriage in other areas of Scotland.
 Sanquhar in Nithsdale,Dumfriesshire was home to the Crichtons remembered in the ballad The Lads of Wamphray  for their feud with the Johnstones of Annandale.The title Lord Crichton of Sanquhar (1488) in later generations was elevated when 9th Lord Crichton was created Earl of Dumfries (1633) . This title was inherited by the Crichton-Stuarts,Marquesses of Bute,whose heir apparent retains the title Earl of Dumfries. The current 7th Marquess was known as Johnny Dumfries when driving in F1 motor racing.

The Crichton,Viscounts of Frendraught in Banffshire acquired this land through marriage with the Dunbars. They were supporters of Montrose and Jacobite sympathisers eventually exiled to France.
Another branch  settled in Ireland shortly after the Plantation of Ulster.Taking land about 1613 in Co.Fermanagh they became Earls of Erne and still live at Crum Castle.Accounts differ as to their origins.Some say they descend from the Crichton,Viscounts of Frendraught and others,from the Crichton,Lairds of Brunston near Edinburgh. In 1872 the Earl of Erne changed the spelling from Creighton to Crichton.

The current chief of clan Crichton,David Maitland Makgill Crichton of that Ilk lives at Monzie Castle in Perthshire and is a Member of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.Their tartan is of recent origin, based on the colours of the family arms and the Makgill tartan.It was  registered in 2009 for the last Clan Gathering in Edinburgh.

The Crichton name has disappeared from the roll of peerage and their once mighty castles are now no more. Crichton castle in the care of Historic Scotland is a magnificent ruin and testimony of their previous power,Sanquar castle is a much reduced ruin and  of Frendraught tower not a vestige remains.

Crichton Castle

Useful links:

www.clancrichton.org
www.clan-crichton.com
https://www.facebook.com/clancrichton

Erne Papers
http://www.proni.gov.uk/introduction_erne_d1939.pdf

Surname Saturday - VIPONT / VIPOND

Every now and then I come across an uncommon surname and I wonder about it's origins.Then later,when searching indexes or wandering around a graveyard, the surname I thought so rare jumps out at me from the most unexpected places.

Recently I noticed the surname Vipont while visiting the Borders archive in Hawick. Those who follow sport in Scotland will be familiar with the television  broadcaster and 'Adventure Show' host, Dougie Vipond and  those from further afield from his days as the drummer in the pop band 'Deacon Blue'.



Only half a dozen Scottish surnames start with the letter  'V',so where did this unusual name originate and is it Scottish?

Vipont appears to derive from several places in Normandy called Vieupont or Vieuxpont; 'old bridge' and the Norman family that came to Britain hailed from Vipont near Lisieux. The Scottish Viponts are descended from William de Ueupunt who was granted land in Westmorland by William the Lion,c1165-77.Scotland and England were continually in dispute over Cumberland and Westmorland until the Border was legally resolved by the Treaty of York in 1237.

Though not uncommon for nobles from either country to own land in both Scotland and England the paths taken by the Vipont families diverged. The Viponts in England granted land during the Scots short occupancy, became Lords of Appleby and High Sheriffs of Westmorland.Their Scottish cousins held land in Carriden,West Lothian and Loch Leven,Fife. During the 14th century the Scottish Viponts witnessed several charters and in 1296 rendered homage to Edward 1 of England. The sixth baron,Sir William de Vepont was described by the poet Barbour as one of 'two worthy knights' killed on the Scottish side at Bannockburn in 1314. His death led to the families decline. Their Carriden estates passed through the female line to the Cockburn family, progenitors of the Berwickshire family,Cockburn of that ilk.

Never a surname of large numbers, the distribution of Viponts in the 1881 census as expected is found predominantly in north west England. Black commented in 1946 that 'the surname is now almost extinct in Scotland.'
This case illustrates;what is a Scottish surname? Of Norman origin and possibly Norse prior to that,Vipont was carried to both Scotland and England before the creation of the Border as we know it. Both branches went their separate ways, one to flourish, the other decline.With so few left bearing the surname they are surely a candidate for a one name study. You may even be related to a former pop star.

Black,G (1946) The Surnames of Scotland :The New York Public Library.
Thomas,D (2012) Vipond History [online] Available at: www.vieuxpont.co.uk [accessed 28/04/2012].
Great Britain Family Names. Vipond [online] Available at:  http://gbnames.publicprofiler.org/Map.aspx?name=VIPOND&year=1881&altyear=1998&country=GB&type=name [accessed 28/04/12]
The Very Best of Deacon Blue http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Very_Best_of_Deacon_Blue [accessed 28/04/012].

Parish of Bolton East Lothian