HONOUR TO AN ARDROSSAN LADY
Miss Annie Stirrat, assistant teacher at West End Public School, Dalry, has obtained a second-class certificate from Her Majesty's Inspector. Miss Stirrat is a native of Ardrossan and previous to her appointment in Dalry Public School, she was a pupil teacher in Ardrossan Number One Public School - Miss Gardiner's. This being her first year as a student in the Normal, she is to be congratulated on her success.
            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 14 March 1890

INSPECTION OF ARDROSSAN HARBOUR WORKS
Yesterday afternoon (3 April 1890), a special train was run from Glasgow with the Board of Directors of the Caledonian Company who came down to Ardrossan to inspect the new harbour works. They dined at the Eglinton Hotel (shown below in the early 1960s) and afterwards went over the different portions of the work, minutely examining its progress. Amongst the company we noticed the honourable Greville Richard Vernon, member of parliament, Mr Thomson, general manager of the Caledonian Company, Mr W Cook, outside goods manager, Mr R Currer, passenger superintendent, Messrs H Brown, director, John Cunningham of Merry and Cunningham, A Russell, director, Mr Wilson of Earnock and J C Bounten. After the inspection, the company left for Glasgow by the 4:30 train.

            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 4 April 1890

ARDROSSAN LOSES LITTLE CUMBRAE
It is expected that at a meeting of the Boundary Commissioners on Friday (25 April 1890), the Little Cumbrae will be transferred to the County of Bute instead of being at present in the civil parish of Ardrossan and ecclesiastically under the sway of West Kilbride.
            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 25 April 1890

ARDROSSAN AMATEUR DRAMATIC CLUB
The Ardrossan Amateur Dramatic Club gave a performance in the Assembly Hall (shown below as the Winton Rovers' Club in 1974) on Friday and Saturday (16 and 17 May 1890) of that romantic drama entitled Lord Darnley or The Keep Of Castle Hill. The following took part: Lord Darnley - Mr John Tait; Will Elliot - Mr G McKellar; Dunleary - D Trodden; Sandy McScrew - John Andrews; Edward Burnette - R Barbour; Andrew Tod - R Anderson; McNeil - H Campbell; Davie - E Wilson; Father Anslem - F Soulis; Earl Lumley - W Shearer; Helen Tod - W Trodden; Lady Margaret - J Marshall. The performance concluded each evening with a laughable farce entitled The Virginia Mummy, the performance of which caused great laughter. All the performers sustained their parts very well indeed. The hall was fairly well filled each evening. The whole passed off successfully.

            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 23 May 1890

ARDROSSAN BATTERY The annual competition for money prizes by the members of the Fifth Battery of the First Ayrshire and Galloway Artillery Volunteers took place at their shooting range on The Inches, Ardrossan (shown below in 2003) on the afternoon of Saturday last (5 July 1890). The weather was not of the best description, a slight breeze accompanied with intervening showers of rain, rendering the shooting somewhat difficult at times while in addition to this, the company, it may also be said, are somewhat heavily handicapped in their shooting owing to large quantities of timber and bings of refuse being placed near the two hundred yards range. The conditions were seven rounds each at two hundred yards - Wimbledon rules. As will be seen from the undernoted scores, Gunner G Hunter has been successful in carrying off the first prize with a score of twenty-seven points out of a possible thirty-five, while Gunner W Whiteford, this year's recruit, left shooting among the seniors, followed him with twenty-six but it was rather surprising to many to see Sergeant J Smith - good shot as he is - so far down in the scoring and especially so when it is remembered that he won the Major's Plate last year with the best aggregate while the absence of the popular Caldwell proved a lucky thing for some of the successful shots. The scores of the prizewinners are shown below. The next competition will be for the Major's Plate which will take place on an early date. Honour is everything nowadays so here is your chance, Gunner Milligan.
	Seniors	Gunner Hunter	4 5 3 4 3 4 4	27
		Gunner Whiteford	3 4 4 0 5 5 5	26
		Gunner Alexander	4 4 4 4 2 3 4	25
		Gunner Fullerton	3 2 4 4 4 4 3	24
		Gunner Tyre	3 5 2 4 4 3 3	24
		Gunner Duncan	4 3 3 4 3 3 3	23
		Sergeant Smith	4 4 4 3 2 3 3	23
	Recruits	Gunner Ralston	3 4 4 4 3 2 3	23
		Gunner Cook	3 2 2 4 4 2 3	21
		Gunner Cuthbert	4 4 2 4 0 4 3	21
	Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 11 July 1890

FORMER ARDROSSAN PLAYER IN SOUTH AFRICA
Football supporters in Ardrossan will be glad to hear that Mr George Stewart, for some time captain of the Ardrossan Ensign Football Club in its palmy days, is still an enthusiastic supporter and player of the manly game dear to all sons of Scotia. He took part in a match played on Saturday 28 June at Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa - Wanderers v Rangers, the semi-final for the Transvaal Association Cup. The Rangers won by four goals to nothing. Stewart, in his old position, right-wing, showed some of his old Ensign form, scoring the last goal after a fine combined run in which all the forwards took part. Stewart is one of the leading players in the Rangers team and takes an active part in all football matches. Mr Andrew Stewart, late of the Irvine team, also took part in the game playing back for the Rangers and through his splendid defence, the Wanderers had seldom a look-in. He also takes a leading place among the backs of South Africa for coolness and hard kicking. Good old Ayrshire! The Rangers' forward combination was the best that has been seen on the Rand for some time and for the half-back trio, Weir, McMillan and Cairns, it was really the best that has been seen in South Africa. The Rangers club is entirely made up of Scotchmen, having a membership of between thirty and forty. They are the favourites for the final tie and play either the Johannesburg Wasps or Pretoria in the final which is expected to come off about the end of the month. The match was played on the ground of the Wanderers, this club having the finest and largest pavilion and grandstand in South Africa together with a cricket ground, tennis and gymnastic courts and a grand bandstand. The Wanderers are the present holders of the cup and are the only premier club in the Transvaal. Messrs Stewart and McLean will be sorry to learn that building operations have been started on the Ensign's field and the club, up to the present, seems defunct.
            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 1 August 1890
The last sentence suggests that Ardrossan Football Club had gone out of existence.
George Stewart was mentioned in Ardrossan and Saltcoats Heralds of 19 August 1887 and 1 October 1897.

MRS JAMES ALEXANDER, JOHN ALLAN AND DANIEL MACARA

            Ayrshire Weekly News and Galloway Press, 15 August 1890
The Ayrshire Weekly News and Galloway Press was printed in Ardrossan.

CRICKET - ARDROSSAN VISITORS v SALTCOATS VISITORS
A friendly match was played last Saturday (23 August 1890). In the first innings, Saltcoats made 30 runs and in the second, the handsome score of 78, total 108. Ardrossan was unfortunate and only made 18 and 31, in all 49. Excellent bowling was shown by Osmond Cook and John Lawson.
            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 29 August 1890

ARDROSSAN POLICE SERGEANT RETIRES
On Saturday last (30 August 1890), the Ayrshire police force lost a most efficient officer in the person of Sergeant Innes who officiated as the head of the police in Ardrossan during the absence of Sergeant Adams on holiday and who, on leaving Ardrossan, left the force as well. Sergeant Innes has for seventeen years been a policeman and during that time, he has seen service in almost every town and village in the county. About eight years ago, while in Ayr, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. He was a steady intelligent officer, ever attentive to duty and he retires from the force with the best wishes of all who were brought into contact with him.
            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 5 September 1890

GRANGEMOUTH DOCK COMPANY TAKES OVER ARDROSSAN SHIPBUILDING COMPANY
The Grangemouth Dock Company which entered this week into possession of the property belonging to the Ardrossan Shipbuilding Company are prepared to lay down several keels. We understand they have several orders on hand.
            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 14 November 1890

SOUTH BEACH STATION ROAD
We would direct the attention of the powers that be to the almost impassable condition of the road over the South Beach railway bridge (shown below in 2011). The road is much used and ought to be maintained in a satisfactory condition for traffic.

            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 5 December 1890

VALUATION OF ARDROSSAN AND STEVENSTON PARISHES
Valuation of Ardrossan Parish for year 1890-91: £51542 10s 0d; valuation of Ardrossan for year 1889-90: £48916 6s 0d, an increase of £2626 4s 0d. Valuation of Stevenston Parish for year 1890-91: £22056 3s 0d; valuation of Stevenston for year 1889-90: £21413 2s 0d, an increase of £643 1s 0d.
            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 5 December 1890

DOCTOR BARNARDO'S HOMES
We would remind our readers of the meeting in the Assembly Hall, Ardrossan tomorrow Saturday evening (13 December 1890) on behalf of Doctor Barnardo's Homes. In our advertising column (shown below) will be found details of that meeting and of the services to be held on Sunday in the same connection. It is the practice in almost all the towns visited for the boys to be accommodated by friends interested in the cause which Doctor Barnardo has so much at heart. Six beds are required for the boys and two guardians and we make this known in the hope that if any householder in Ardrossan can see his or her way to accommodate two of the visitors, intimation be left at the shop of Mr Guthrie, Princes Street.

            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 12 December 1890

ARDROSSAN WATER SCHEME
A correspondent, CJS, send me a communication recalling the petition presented to the Commissioners two months ago seeking to have an improve water supply. Though then agreed to carry out the Mill Glen scheme, nothing has yet been done. Parties refuse to take feus in the higher and upper end of the town owing to the want of water pressure. He hints that some of the Commissioners are hankering after the Whitlees parch-up scheme which, it was demonstrated, would not answer the purpose. Now is the time to proceed with the work.
            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 12 December 1890

MR JOHN LAVERY'S NEW PAINTING
A few months ago, Mr Lavery, kindly acceding to an invitation, addressed the members and friends of our local Art Club in the Ardrossan Academy (shown below as the ruins of Saint Peter's School in 2002). Much interest was evinced at the time by the audience in the talented artist on account of his well-known artistic ability and his local connection. Many in this locality have year after year watched his upward progress on the ladder of fame and have hailed with delight each artistic triumph. Mr Lavery's life has been an eventful one. He has studied in Glasgow, London and Paris, living for several years in France, indeed at one time purposing spending all his life there. His success at the various exhibitions in this country and at the foreign salons is well-known and now, after two years of continuous application, he has produced a masterpiece which will command the attention and admiration of the picture loving public.

            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 12 December 1890

FINED FOR WHEELING A BARROW ON THE PAVEMENT
At the Burgh Court on Monday morning (15 December 1890), before Provost Hogarth, a Saltcoats baker was fined five shillings for wheeling his van or barrow on the pavement at South Beach, Ardrossan.
            Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald, 19 December 1890