Alford Image Library

Sorry, but I am not aware of a David Kemp living there. He was certainly not associated with this woollen mill - maybe one of the other mills in the area. In 1963, my father, Albert Kemp was still in residence and Ardlair was my 'home' address while I was still at university.

I remember Bert Kemp in the choir at Tullynessle Church,organist was Mrs W.S. MacDonald from the meal mill.Bert sang baritone and I followed him,which prompted the comment;"who is that growling at the back?"

Sandy, my error on date. It was around the 1870's that David Kemp lived there . My other computer has a 1910 land register record which I will refer back too and provide to Alford Imagery .

I have been working for a while on by which Kemp and between which years, the various woolmills - Craigievar, Montgarrie, Dess, Rhynie & Bridge of Buchat were being run.
For Montgarrie I have:
1861 to ? - Peter (1793-1876).
? to 1876 - same Peter but now trading with a partner as 'Kemp & Strachan'.
1876 to 1890 - his son Peter (1839-1925) also trading under 'Kemp & Strachan who were liquidated in July 1890'.
1890 to ? – this Peter in his own right. At his death in 1925 at ‘Ardlair’ he was shown as ‘retired’ so I don’t know when the mill passed to Alexander to run ?
19? to 1950 his son Alexander (1867-1950) (living at ‘Rowanbank’ in 1925 and at his death)
1950 to 19? his son Albert b.1897
Can anyone else (Sandy perhaps ?) firm up on any of these unknown dates ?
Ian

I well remember Bert Kemp in Montgarrie in the 50's and 60's - I had many hurrels in the back of his estate car (the only one in Tullynessle at the time?) going round the diferent places singing carols or in my case droning out carols and if we were lucky we may have got the odd sweetie from some kind householder(probably to persuade us to be quiet) which made it all worthwhile!

Hello Ian
As a descendant from Peter Kemp & Margaret Smith , I am interested particularly in the history of the Craigievar Woollen Mill. Would appreciate anything you could forward to me . PO Box 5741, Stafford Hts QLD 4053 Australia or e mail to sawdust3@westnet.com.au

I would imagine Bert Kemp ran the woolmill at Montgarrie until the fire,which destroyed and would have would closed the manufacturing side of the business although Bert was still living in the house when Bill Marnoch was renovating the mill building.Regarding the mill at Craigievar, is that the "Ladymill" formerly known as "Scuttrie (skitterie)Mill"at the crossroads?Have a look on "scran" website using whatever search engine you like. The nearest millwright back then was William Murray at Muggarthaugh, who was succeeded by Alexander Murray, again at Muggarthaugh.Very local.Back to Kemps,was there not a Davie Kemp worked as a fe'ed man at Waterside of Tullynessle in the early 1960's

Any idea of the date of the fire ?.
The Craigievar Mill (and farm) was a wee bit back towards Lumphanon – between the school and the entrance lane to the Castle. From birth records, Kemps were there from at least 1820. I believe the last Kemp left the house sometime in the 1950's but I cannot be 100% sure of this date.
It may interest readers to know that through the 1800's into the 1900's members of the extended Kemp family ran woolmills at Craigievar, Montgarrie, Bridge of Buchat, Rhynie, Mossat and Dess, Aboyne.
Craigievar and Montgarrie were the most successful. Mossat went into administation (as we would call it today) under William Kemp as early as 1832 with Peter Kemp of Craigievar (William’s brother) as one of the Trustees. However it seems to have been resurrected at some point as William's son Peter is recorded as the tenant there in the 1870's. Peter's son John worked there and also at Bridge of Buchat before moving to Hawick tweed mill and ending up in South Africa at the Natal Woolen Manufacturing Co in Natal in the late 1890's.
The earliest record I have of the Kemp association with Wool Mills is David, the father of 'Craigievar Peter and 'Mossat William'. In the late 1790's he was employed at Garlogie Mill, Skene and two of his children were born there.

Not sure of the date of the fire but certainly after 1946,Isobel Balfour,another contributor on this site, may well clarify the finer points of that,she is a wee bittie aulder than me! Purely on an "every little helps" basis, one of the witnesses at to the marriage of John Tytler Murray and Agnes Taylor at Fordie,Craigmile,Torphins on 26/4/1899 was one James Kemp,who would have been either "Best Man" employer or close family friend. J T Murray was a rural postman living at Tana Cottage,Torphins at that date.The Tytler name is also very much associated with mills in the area,Mill of Hole,Mill of Ae,Corsindae etc. could be worth a look to see if there are any other connections.

This James was the son of David and Elizabeth Kemp (cousins who married) who farmed at Wester Beltie. James, b.1865, gets several mentions in the Aberdeen Journal as a prizewinner at ploughing competitions, etc., at the Torphins Agricultural Show over those years. In the 1901 census he is at Wester Beltie as a 'Farm Servant - Horseman' He eventually married a 'Stronach' but there were no offspring.