A KEEN historian is following in his grandfather’s footsteps by researching his home town.

Robert Kane, 64, says his grandfather John Dougan’s research on the harbour appears in the History of Port Glasgow.

Dr William Forrest McArthur who published the book in 1932, acknowledged his grandfather’s input as one of his ‘friends’ in the preface.

Robert, of Westfield Road, said: “Dr McArthur was a doctor who practised at John Wood Street and my grandfather knew him well.

“My grandfather died of TB in the same year the book was published.

“My mum always told us that he went out in the morning to local libraries and he went to the Greenock Watt Library to research history of the town and wrote it on foolscap paper.

“When he died there were realms of research but sadly my grandmother threw it out when she moved house.”
Robert, a retired joiner/shopfitter, is also passionate about his home town and is member of the online group Port Glasgow Nostalgia.

Robert, who is currently researching the area of Castlehill, says the 1932 book is of great importance in the story of the Port and is still used as a reference book.

He has contributed to a local community project named Newark to Newark - A people’s history of Port Glasgow.

Robert said: “The reason was to include the family name and put my grandfather in the book.”