Glenbranter Forest History file notes and details
The document is courtesy of Glenbranter Forest office staff with particular thanks to Ian Adams who has stored these old files for many years.
This series of documents shown in the attached PDF offer an insight into the processes and timescales from central office requesting the writing of the Forest Histories until the drafts were approved and the final versions signed off. The PDF contains some original comments from senior FC staff to the draft report and hence we are able to place names against the senior position recorded in the History such as Chairman, Lord Robinson: Director Scotland, Sir Henry Beresford Peirse: Conservator West Scotland, J R Thom and the District Officer, S M Petrie.
The first image is that of a hand written list of names of Foresters in charge and is a little different to that produced in the Glenbranter Forest History. Someone has helpfully added names of those who were in post after the 1951 period and also those of the Assistant Foresters and Foremen. The names and actual roles may require some reinterpretation to that which I have written here and any suggestions would be very welcome.
The comments after the first seven or so names appears to indicate areas of responsibility other than just the normal forest work (FC). The term ‘Forces rehab’ could refer to the groups of ex service personnel from WWI working on the forest or the foresters themselves were a product of the retraining programme such as at Birnam Forestry Training Establishment. The term ‘Estate’ could possibly refer to some roll in building and repairing houses on Forest Worker Holdings and or the management of the farm or hill ground lets.
1921-22 Ingram (Ex Lieutenant?) - Forces Rehabilitation
1922-23 Paterson, Forester - Forces rehab, FC and Estate
1923 J A B McDonald - (Interim For IC – [Forester In charge?])
1923-24 Rob Shaw FII – FC and Estate
1924-32? R L Anderson FII – FC and Estate and MoW (Ministry of Works?)
1932-36 J Calder For and FII – FC
1936-46 J T McDonald FII – FC and Ministry of Supply (Era of the two labour camps at Glenbranter also Glenfinnart, Glentress and Knapdale camps)
1946 John Jackson FII – FC
1946-51 A McLean FII- FC
1951-61 R G Murray FII, FI and Head Forester
1961-70 D J McRae FI and Head Forester
1970? Nov 77 Darcy Black Chief Forester
1977 J McLean Chief Forester
Foremen and Assistant Foresters
1922-23 J A B McDonald (Foreman)
1923-25 A Cameron (Foreman) Alastair?
1925-28 M McRae (Foreman)
1928-32 J Calder (Ganger then Foreman)
1932-42 R Crozier (Foreman)
1942-45 John Jackson (Foreman)
1945-47 A Gillies (Foreman)
1947- 60 A Gillies (GII)
1947-54 J Cramb (Foreman)
1951-54 ((Foreman and Ex School)
Assist Foresters
1952 – 61
W Beak M Shaw
S Maule
A Calder (Sandy?) P Ferguson (Pat?)
W Mason
W Turner
K Fryer
Also according to some of the file notes the District Officers in charge of districts in the West Consevancy in 1951 were.
Mr Dier
Mr S M Petrie
Mr J G Chrystal
Mr J Chrystal (Which Chrystal was latterly Assistant Conservator North Scotland?)
Mr Townsend
Mr S U Robertson (Also at Forest of Ae area)
Mr Macpherson
Mr Stirling
Any views thoughts and details of the people featured would be very welcome
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports