Nicol McKechnie

Nicol in a studio photograph taken around 1870	Nicol with his wife Agnes and their nine children, in a studio photograph taken probably in the late 1890s.

Nicol McKechnie was born in Lochgilphead, Argyll in 1845 [1]. At some time during his youth, he moved to live in the fast-developing town of Greenock, and by 1871 was living at 23 Ingleston Street [5]. On 5^th May 1869, at the age of 24, he joined the barque "Stella" of Greenock as a Carpenter Seaman, travelling to Matanzas, Cuba, and returning to Greenock on 8^th August 1869 [7]. Over the following eight years he made four more foreign voyages, to Mauritius, Newfoundland, India, and San Francisco [7].

Nicol on the Cowdenknowes Dam, Greenock with his yacht Caledonia, probably about 1910.	Nicol taking a Sunday afternoon stroll. His companions are not identified.

On 8^th December 1871, he was married to Agnes McKechnie at the Mechanics' Hall, Sir Michael Street, Greenock [5], and over the following 15-20 years she bore him 9 children [2,3,4]. In 1881 they were living at 17 Belville Street, Greenock, and by the mid 1880s they were living at 19 Belleville Street.

In his later years he applied his shipbuilding skills to model yachts. He won a model yacht competition on 2^nd August 1913 with his 20 rater "Olga", and was photographed (date unknown, probably between 1900 and 1915) on Cowdenknowes Dam ('the Top Dam'), Greenock, with his yacht "Caledonia".

He died of heart failure at 9.05 p.m. on 8th April 1923 aged 77 [6].

Sources: Census [1]1851, [2]1881, [3]1891, [4]1901; GRO [5]marriage & [6]death records; [7]Discharge certificates;

Updated 21-07-05