Nicol McKechnie

Nicol was born in 1875 in Ann Street, Greenock to Dugald and Jane Mckechnie. In 1881 they lived nearby at 4 Mount Pleasant Street[1]. By 1891 they were at 28 Bruce Street and Nicol, aged 15, was employed as a clerk[2]. In 1898 Nicol married Annie Wallace, who had lived in the same street as Nicol in 1881[1], and by 1900 they were living at 11 Kirkwood Street, Govan in Glasgow[8]. They were still there in 1902, when Nicol was described as an Engineer's Clerk[8]. He was probably employed by one of Govan's many engineering companies, such as the Clyde Locomotive Works which in 1903 became part of the North British Locomotive Company.

Some time after 1902, Nicol moved to Rochester in Kent to work for Aveling & Porter[7], whose main products were steam-powered traction engines and road rollers. In 1904, the family were living at 63 Western Road, Strood, Rochester, Kent, and in 1906 they were at 8 Goddington Road, Strood. By 1908 they were at Prospect House, Frindsbury, Strood, and Nicol was described as an engineer (mechanical)[4]. Prospect house had previously been occupied by Mr. Everest, a miller, probably from one of the two nearby windmills.

Nicol travelled to West Africa with the company, but was eventually repatriated due to illness[7], possibly a viral or bacterial infection contracted in the tropics. He and his family appear to have moved back to Greenock about this time, living at 13 Nelson Street[6]. The infection attacked his brain and/or nervous system, and on 16th January 1915 he died in the Greenock Asylum, with the cause of death given as Dementia Paralytica[6].

Sources: Census [1]1881, [2]1891, [3]1901; Nicol's GRO [4]birth, [5]marriage & [6]death records; [7]family memories; [8]GRO records of Nicol's children;

Page last updated 25 June 2005