Slater Family

George Slater Margaret Wood
Born 1851 Portknockie Born 6 Oct 1855 Portknockie
Died 7 Sept 1929 Low Shore Macduff Died 1 June 1934 Macduff

George Slater and Margaret Wood married on 28th October 1874 in Portknockie. At some point after 1876 they moved into 2 Commercial Street Macduff, where they lived for more than forty years. During that time they had 11 Children; George (1876-1956), James (1878-1962), Helen Ann (1880-1918) married James Lyall and moved to Canada, John, Alexander (1885-1954), Arthur, Magnus (1888-1959), William Anderson married Mary Ann McKay, David (1884-1959), Joseph (1896-1917) and Robina.

The Slater boys became record breakers in WW1 as all 9 of them were engaged in naval service. As was reported in the Aberdeen Weekly Journal 17 March 1916.

Sadly George and Margaret lost their youngest boy Joseph on 23rd May 1917.
Joseph Slater was born on 2nd July 1896, although his service record states he was born on 22nd August 1896. He was the 10th child of George Slater and Margaret Wood of 2 Commercial Street Macduff.
At the outbreak of WW1 Joseph was in the Royal Navy Reserve (RNR), service number 7621DA, on the fishing drifter ‘Coronaria’ (BF397)** as a deck hand.

Joseph drowned on 23 May 1917 while serving on HM Drifter ‘Coronaria’ at Scapa Flow Orkney. His body was not recovered for burial.
This was often the case for those serving at sea, but he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Of the remaining ten children of George Slater and Margaret Wood; John and Arthur lived in Macduff until their deaths in 1972.
George Slater was from a fishing family his father, grandfather and most of his sons were also fishermen.
George Slater died at Low Shore Macduff in 1929 and Margaret Wood died at Macduff in 1934, they have left
quite a legacy through their children.

**’Coronaria’
BF 397 Owner J Watt & William Kidd and others
Official Number 127348 Registered port Gardenstown
Built 1911 by W & G Stephen Banff
Type: Steam Drifter
Tonnage: 81gt 34nt
Engine Power: 28hp 16 inch triple expansion by Plenty of Newbury
History:
1911 first registered
1914 requisitioned by Admiralty
1921 registry closed no longer fishing, converted to coaster and renamed ‘Mhor Head’
1929 Lost off Kinnaird Head Fraserburgh

Copyright 2019 by Mary Arnold QG
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage on retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Photograph acknowledgement: Leanne Inwood