21 miles

We are on a journey. 


A journey through places - three countries actually. However, it is mainly a journey through time - 100 years, five generations of one family. 

The journey started last year when we were in Northern Ireland and visited the Archives in Belfast. We found there the record in the Parish Register of the marriage of Gordon’s great, great grandparents - Hugh Crawford and Eliza McGhie in 1841. We also found the baptisms of three of their children in the following years. We then went to find the village where they lived - Ahoghill, in County Antrim - and the church where these events took place.

Around 1848 the young family left Ireland and went to Scotland. We have no way of knowing why they left but, as this was the time of Famine in Ireland, it is very likely that they decided to move where there was more work. As Eliza was actually born in Scotland, this would have been a reasonable choice for them.

Today we were in Portpatrick, a small harbour town in South West Scotland. We were there because it was almost certainly where our family would have arrived after crossing the water from Ireland. At the time Portpatrick was the main crossing point between Galloway and Ireland, as it is only 21 miles across. A steam packet brought mail and passengers on a regular ferry route. Sadly the harbour repeatedly suffered from storm damage and eventually it was superseded by the more sheltered Stranraer. Despite this, the railway was still built to reach Portpatrick, but the railway is another story - probably tomorrow. 

Now Portpatrick is a picturesque little harbour, very popular with visitors and is the start of the long distance Southern Upland Way. We spent a very pleasant couple of hours there, wandering in the sunshine. My picture shows the entrance to the port with the hills of Ireland in the distance. I have added a picture of the harbour in extras. 

The journey continues tomorrow.