John McKechnie

Born 14.3. 1925 . at Greenock Certificate
Full Name John Peden McKechnie  
Father Dugald McKechnie Mother Margaret McKechnie (m.s. Peden)
Christened ??.??. ?? at ??
Married ??.??. 1963 to Elizabeth Young at Beith Certificate
Died 19.11. 2009 at St Vincent's Hospice, Howwood   Certificate

John McKechnie was born in Greenock in 1925. In the 1940s, he worked on farms around Greenock, including Pennyfern Farm, then further afield. Much of John's early work was with horses, and a love of working horses stayed with him long after their work had been taken over by tractors.

Haymaking, about 1939. John & Darkie, about 1941. John & Major, about 1942.

 

John at work. Above the High School and Cowdenknowes. Ploughing on Pennyfern Farm.

In the 1960s John went to Over Hessilhead farm in Ayrshire, where in 1963 he married Liz. Together they developed this farm, and also later the nearby Waterlands and Boydstone farms. By the 1990s, Hessilhead and Waterlands were run by Liz's family, and John and Liz had moved to semi-retirement at Boydstone. In 2003, they sold Boydstone and moved to a bungalow in nearby Beith.

John with Doris & Spot, Boydstone, 1992. Making music, 1992. Fiddle solo, Cirencester, 1993.

Throughout his life, John was an accomplished violinist, playing traditional Scottish country dance music at public events as well as for his own enjoyment. In his later years he was an Elder of the High Church, Beith.

Liz died in 2008, and in early 2009 John was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus. This was treated only by mitigating the symptoms, which gave John almost a year more of fairly active life. John died peacefully on 19th November 2009 at St Vincent's Hospice, Howwood, Renfrewshire.


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Updated 27-11-09