WHEN Govan’s War Memorial was unveiled on Christmas Eve in 1922, a silver casket containing a Roll of Honour was placed within it.
It contained the names of the 1122 men killed in the First World War who came from Govan, Ibrox, Cessnock, Plantation, Drumoyne and Linthouse – areas which were all part of the Govan Burgh until it ceased to exist in 1912 when it became part of the City of Glasgow.
The Roll of Honour was placed in the war memorial by a local woman called Mrs Ryan, who had lost four members of her household in the conflict.
In 2019, when the War Memorial was being refurbished, Govan Reminiscence Group (GRG) decided to take the opportunity to retrieve the Roll of Honour, to copy the names to conserve them, before placing it back into the monument.
However, there was a shock in store for the group.
Colin Quigley, chairperson of GRG, explains: “We were devastated to find the roll had been completely destroyed by water damage and no names could be recovered.
“All was not lost, as the group knew that in 1922 each member of the War Memorial Committee had been given a copy of the roll, so we set about trying to track down their descendants in the slim hope that someone, somewhere still had it.”
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It was a long shot, but soon after their search began, the group was contacted by Sheila Lawson from Skye, who was researching the Munro family from Govan on an ancestry website.
Colin explains: “I messaged her, explaining about the destroyed Roll of Honour and got an email back with a photo and a note that said, ‘is this what you are looking for?’"
He laughs: “I have to admit, I did a jig around the living room. It was a picture of the front and first page of the roll. Remarkably, Sheila is not even related to William Munro, who was a member of the War Memorial Committee."
The Roll of Honour Sheila found in a barn loft of a croft on Skye had belonged to William Munro, a former Baillie for Govan Burgh.
Colin says: “The memorial was very personal for him, as his son Alexander, who was a sergeant with the Cameronians, was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
“William’s daughter Williamina married a crofter from Skye named Malcolm Morrison in Govan in 1933. They moved to Tokavaig croft in Skye, where they lived until Malcolm died in 1948.
“Williamina moved on but left the Roll of Honour and some photos, which Sheila found when she moved into Tokavaig in 2016.”
He adds: “She thought they were too important and set about researching William Munro’s family in the hope of returning the roll and photos, which is why our paths eventually crossed.
"I'm very glad she did."
GRG has a photo of William, from around 1911, which also includes his wife Mary Ann Syme, his daughter Margaret, his son Alexander who was killed in WW1 and his youngest girl, Williamina.”
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Sheila and her husband are coming down from Skye to attend a special ceremony on Sunday, November 13, marking the 100th anniversary of Govan War Memorial.
The event, which is being held thanks to the support of Govan Cross Townscape Heritage Initiative (GCTHI) who commissioned the refurbishment of the memorial in 2019, will take place at the Pearce Institute, just after the Remembrance Sunday service. The event will also feature live music from the Glasgow Barons and Pipe and Drums from Govan Schools and Community Pipe Band.
Colin explains: “We will be telling the story of the unveiling in 1922, the refurbishment of the memorial and the amazing rediscovery of the Roll of Honour. And for the first time, we will be displaying the names of all 1122 men named upon it, and telling their stories.”
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