MORE GELLIE AND SOME THAIN

We are unsure when George Gellie returned from Jersey, but his sojourn does not appear to have been long as in 1891 he was staying at Overtown of Fetternear with his wife, daughters Eleanor Ann (13) and Jessie (10) and four servants. In 1901 he was staying at Westown of Ranna, Tarland and his occupation is given as farmer and proprietor. His wife Mary Ann, daughter Jane B Joiner (31) a widow and formerly a teacher, daughter Dora T Gellie (42) single, grandaughter Frieda G Joiner, (4) a grandaughter born in Orange River Colony were also living with him and three servants completed the household.

George Gellie was living at 112 Desswood Place Aberdeen when he died on 7 January 1905, and his wife's address was 112 Desswood Place when she died on 14 May 1915. The family maintained connections with Aberdeen, Jane's address was given as 18 Gordondale Road when she died on 4 June 1946, Frieda, her daughter's address was 28 Victoria Street when she died on 3 May 1980, and her husband Alexander Humble continued to live there until his death on 24 November 1986.

Over the years James Thain has proved an elusive character. He is commemorated in Kemnay Kirkyard on the roadside wall to the west of the kirk building, but it was a long time before it was learned that he died at King's Crescent in Aberdeen. He was born in Logie Coldstone in 1825 and in 1881 he was manager at Burnside Quarry, Kintore, where he was staying with his wife Susan aged 49 who was born in Rayne, and their son George aged 7 who was born in Kemnay.

When he took the lease of the portion of ground to the north of George Gellie's feu at Whitsunday 1865, James Thain is described as a quarrier at Kemnay. These building leases were for 99 years and one of the conditions of lease was that if not renewed, the land and any buildings thereon fell back to the estate at the end of the lease. Thain's feu extended from Gellie's feu northwards to what is now the High Street and from Station Road to a line similar to Gellie's feu. Like George Gellie, James Thain built a tenement to one corner of the feu and in 1871 it housed 6 families consisting of 36 people. By 1881 there were 39 people but by 1901 the number had dropped to 29. One of the families staying there in 1901 was the Brown family who were to remain there until rehoused in the 1970s, at which point the building reverted to Kemnay Estate. The property was purchased by Dennis Kindness who renovated the property, forming commercial premises on the ground floor in which he had a second hand furniture store, and living accommodation above. Dennis eventually moved to the family business at Kemhill and the ground floor of the Happyland, by which name it had been known for many years, was eventually opened as a Chinese Fast Food takeaway outlet.

Later the feu was subdivided and the building now housing the bank offices was built on the street corner, but more of that later.