A woman living in Canada is reaching out to West Lothian to try and trace families who appear in a mysterious box of old photos she picked up.

Ginette Guy bought the box of old snaps at an online auction from a moving company as she does volunteer work with historical/heritage organizations, and expected to trace the pictures back to her home in eastern Ontario.

But she soon realised the snaps - which range from the early 1900s to mid-1950s - were of families living in West Lothian and traced them to Uphall Station and Broxburn as well as Grangemouth and set about trying to trace their living relatives.

Ginette said she wants to return the pics to the families has thrown herself into the project and spent the last few years researching their family trees.

She is also keen to find out how the box of pictures ended up in Canada.

A class photo, from Uphall Station c. 1920, the girl third from the right is a member of Gilchrist family

She said she discovered the photos are mostly of Anne Watson Gilchrist (who was born in 1918 and died 1994) and her husband Henry Leishman (1917-1991), who was also known as Harry.

Anne was born in Uphall Station her parents were Thomas Gilchrist Jr and Isabella Rolland Stein.

Henry was born in Falkirk, and they married in 1941. His parents were David Taylor Leishman and his mother Janet Smith. Henry (Harry) Leishman was in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the war and was in India in 1945.

Anne Gilchrist Leishman with son David Watson Leishman around 1943-44

Both Anne and Henry died in Grangemonth, they had two children: David Watson Leishman (1943-1994) and Isabella (1947-2018). David died in England, but Isabella was in France. There does not seem to be any grandchildren.

Thomas Gilcrhist, Anne’s father, worked in the mining industry, so did her maternal grandfather James Stein. The Stein family lived at 90 Beechwood Cottages, Uphall Station, in the miners cottages.

Thomas Gilchrist lived at 76 Station’s Row in Uphall when Anne was born.

Miners Cottages. 90 Beechwood Cottages, around 1910-1920, in Uphall Station

Gintette, who stays in Cornwall, Ontario, said she has been fascinated after picking up her “Scottish box of mysteries”.

She said: “I believe there were three or four sisters in the Gilchrist family, but I cannot find any records, but there is mention of Robina Gilchrist.

“Through the years and research, I built a family tree on the website Ancestry.ca with photos so that anyone doing genealogy could use them. I also contacted various groups in the West Lothian area to try and find out more about the photos/families and how they could have possibly end up in Canada.

Canadian finds pics. Henry (Harry) Leishman c.1945

“I did send military photos back to a military museum in Kirknewtown and shared some of the miner’s cottages with the Shale Industry Museum.

“I do not believe there are any close relatives as there were no grandchildren, but someone somewhere must be related and have those people as ancestors.

“I have a number of people claiming Gilchrist heritage but not in a direct line to the ones I have in the photos. In the box there were only two small pieces of paper work relating to anyone in Canada but no direct link as to how the photos ended up here.”

Ginette continued: “I would like to find an extended family who may be interested in getting these photos back or shared. Henry Leishman was a WW2 member of the Royal Army Medical Corps and went to India in 1945.

“Despite reaching out to various groups in Canada and in Scotland, I have not been able to link to relatives or find out how the box arrived in Canada.”

Are you related to anyone in the pictures? If so, email debbie.hall@reachplc.com.

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