The weekend celebrations for the weekend finished on the Sunday when a service was held in Newark Parish church.
It was at this service that it came to light that John Wood had at one time been engaged to be married. His intended Elizabeth Kyall of Douglas, Ile of Man had come to complete arrangements in Port Glasgow when she was taken ill and died. John wood arranged for her to stay close by, having her buried in the Parish graveyard. He never wed.
After the service the congregation all proceeded out side where a laurel wreath bound with purple silk was placed on the graves of her grand uncle John and Elizabeth's by Miss Reid of Glen Huntly.

A few of the Port Glasgow yards are listed below.As you will see the yards were very busy producing boats for all over the world.

Invitations were sent out to business men and dignitaries of the time inviting them to take part in the celebrations. The men all boarded boats and were then given a tour of the yards on the river from Glasgow to Greenock and on the other side of the river in Dumbarton as well.

Comet Celebrations 1912

To the sound of a bugle the Comet Festival of set off from Scarlow Street on 31st August 1912.By this time the house that John Wood had lived in had become 29 Scarlow Street and was decorated with flags and banners for the occasion.

The streets were crowed with people and there were just as many taking part in the procession as each trade turned out a display and men to join in the march.

Almost every trade had a band but at the head of the crowd was the Clyde Royal Garrison Artillery Band under the Bandmaster Harkness.
Behind them were the mounted police which were closely followed by the carriages.

The head carriage contained Mrs James Reid (who was the niece of John Wood), Provost Fyfe, Bailie McFarlane and Bailie Leith.

The procession makes it's way through town.

31st August 1912

There was a further 7 carriages then the men who belong to each trade involved in the town followed behind. Each trade had it's own display and they were described as very well made with plenty of imagination. There was also representations for the fire brigade and the ambulance men.

The Gourock Rope Works also turned out a display which was made up of "coils of rope and canvas arranged in what can only be described as conciderable tastefullness"

The original route took them first along Scarlow Street, then out to Shore Street, Brown Street and Bellhaven Street, Ardgowan Street, East Hamilton Street,Chalmers Street, Helen Street and from there back to Princess Street.
Up Princess Street and Down John Wood Street along Bay Street and Port Glasgow road to Montgomery Street before returning to Fore Street where the "dismiss" was sounded on the Bugle.

Wm. Hamilton & Co Ltd Port Glasgow
Floating Dock for H.M Navy
Passenger steamer for La Compania Mexicana de Navigation
Passenger and cargo steamer for Grace Brothers London
Two cargo steamers for Stoomvarart Maatschappij Nederland of Amsterdam
Cargo steamer for Rankin Gilmour & Co Liverpool
Passenger andcargo steamer for New York and south American Line
Steamer Lamport & Holt, Liverpool
Steamer for Keninklyke West-Indische Maildienst Amsterdam

Russlee & Co Kingston Yard Port Glasgow
Two steamers for Rankin Gilmour & Co Liverpool
Two steamers Gow Harrison & Co Glasgow
Two steamers Larrinaga & Co Ltd Liverpool
Two sreamers for Chas Barrie & Son Dundee
One steamer for Bell Bros & Co Glasgow
And one for Crawford & Rowat Glasgow

Fergusons Brothers, Ltd Port Glasgow
Bucket dredger for Blyth Harbour Commissioners
Tug for Port of London Authority
Two bardges for Calcutta Port Commissioners
Tug for Cape Town, South Africa
A dreger for Clyde Lughthouse Trust

Murdoch & Murray Ltd Port Glasgow
ss "Coombar" Launched on the 15 August 1912
for the North Coast Navigation Co - Sydney
Cargo steamer for service on the River Amazon
Two steamers for Mediterranean Fruit trade for Manchester owners

Boats Being Built or Fitted out in August 1912

Dunlop, Bremner & Co Port Glasgow

On Stocks - Two Steamers for R F Sanderson & Co Manchester and one for the Scott Baltic Steamers Lts Liverpool
In fitting out Basin ss Tuggerah for Wallarah Coal company Sydney

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This page last modified on Tuesday, March 04, 2003