The following information was recorded in the town’s newspaper of 29 July 1916.

A meeting of the Heritors of the Parish of Beith having land of the yearly value of £100 was held in the Parish Church Hall on Tuesday – Mr Henry G Patrick in the chair. The business of the meeting was the appointment of a governor to Spier’s School. On the motion of the chairman seconded by Mr Matthew Gilmour, agreed to reappoint Mr W D Russell of Maulside as a governor for a period of 5 years from 1^st August next.

The balance sheet of Beith Co-operative Society for three months ending 4 July shows the sales to have been £8248 which is an increase of £500 over the corresponding period last year. From the net profit of £1026 it is proposed to allocate £76 to various funds and recommend a dividend of 2s 8d per £ on general purchases.

We wonder if any of our oldest readers can identify the old gentlemen named in the notice quoted below, taken from a Detroit newspaper and posted to Mr John Chalmers, Crummock Street by Mr James Paton, Ford’s Motor Works, Detroit, (the son  of the late James Paton, shoemaker, Beith):- James Laird, aged 88 years, died at the home of his son, James K Laird, 476 Twelth Street, Monday morning at 7.00 am, from old age. Funeral service will be held at home at 2.00 pm on Wednesday.  Interment will be in Elmwood Cemetery. James Laird was born in Beith, Scotland, July 21, 1827. He came to Detroit from Scotland when he was 26 years of age, in 1853.

Information has reached Beith that Mrs John Pearce, daughter of Mr Robert McMillan, Mains Road, Beith, is a victim of the great forest fire which took place at Cochrane, Ontario, at the end of last week. No details are to hand, the only information being a cable received by Mr McMillan which reached him on Wednesday  afternoon to the effect that “his daugher Maggie was wiped out.” She was married to Mr Pearce, a Glasgow engineer, seventeen years ago, and has been in Canada about 15 years. Her husband and only child, a son, were saved. Mrs Maggie Pearce was about 41 years of age. It is stated that around 200 lives were lost in this appalling fire.

It is with deep regret that we announce the death at Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday of Mrs J F Glen, the youngest daughter of the late Walter Williamson of Hamilfield, Beith. The deceased lady was married to Mr J F Glen, a son of Rev Henry Glen of Beith, less than three years ago and has been resident in Florida since. The news of the unexpected death was received in Beith with profound sorrow, and the deepest sympathy is expressed for Mrs Williamson and family.

Mr David Kerr, Marshalland, and Mr James T Reid, Knowes, in connection with the Craigie House Fete,  on behalf of Red Cross funds, to be held in Ayr today, have collected the handsome sum of £61 5s from farmers principally, and townspeople.

At Ayr Sheriff Court on Monday, a young man named Charles Bryce, belonging to Paisley, appeared before Hon-Sheriff Substitute Shaw, on a charge of Culpable Homicide. The indictment bore that on 4 July, at Beith, he wrecklessly drove a pair of horses yoked to a cart, and collided with a horse and cart going in the same direction, as result of which John Neil, a ploughman, Townhead, Beith, had his skull fractured, and died soon afterwards. A plea of not guilty was tendered and the trial will take place at Kilmarnock on August 11.

Numerous complaints have been made within the last week or two as to the raiding of gardens by youths of an age who ought to know better. The fruit in many instances has been stripped clean from the bushes and trees, and the labour and care bestowed on their culture by the owners has thus been thrown away. The thieves in a number of cases are known well enough. Those foolish youths who are found repeating the offence will find themselves in serious trouble, as the police are already in possession of their names and will taken action when occasion arises.

Beith Women’s War Work Party announce that from 6^th June to 11 July, 214 parcels were despatched:- 98 to France, 87 to Egypt and Mesopotamia, 9 to Solonica, 8 to Navy, 4 to East Africa, 4 to prisoners of war in Germany, 2 to India, 1 to Russia, 1 to Nurse on active service. The parcels contained  in all 213 pairs of socks, 210 magazines, 84 packets of raisins, 87 boxes of oxo cubes, 87 boxes of cocoa cubes, 83 stoves, 115 pieces of soap, 88 packets of cigarettes, 167 packets of sweets, 94 tins of fruit, 94 tins of health salts, 131 cakes, 94 squares of mosquito netting, 8 loaves, 4 packets of dates and 4 packets of tobacco. Due to lack of funds the foregoing despatch had to be strictly confined to men on duty at the front. After the holidays a further appeal will be made to enable to committee to carry on the work.