From this section we are going to give an insight of the famous people that were born in Greenock and the surrounding areas

William Captain Kidd  [ c 1645 May 1701]

Is reputed to be born in Greenock from a reputable family in the town. After the death of his father  when he five he moved to NewYork.

During the war of the Grand Alliance. on orders from the provience of New York he captured an enemy privateer on the New England coast Shortly afterwords Kidd was awarded £150 for succesful privateering in the Caribbean.

In New York City, Kidd was active in the building of Trininty Church New York. One year later, While ashore in Antigua in the West Indies  1695, his ship was stolen by an notorious pirate Captain Culliford, In (1696) Kidd attacked a Mugal convey under convoy If this is true this marked Kidds foray into piracy.

Kidd was arrested in Boston on July 1699 he was placed in Stone prison Over a year later he was sent back to England to stand trial He was detaind at the infamous Newgate Prison Kidd and was found guilty of all charges against him murder and five counts of piracy he was hanged on May 23rd 1701 at Execution Dock', Wapping in London.

Chick Murray

Charles  "Chic" Murray was born in Greenock on the 6th November. (1919)
He started work as an apprentice engineer in Kincaids Shipyard in (1934 ) He appeared at the Royal Variety Show  at the London Palladium, but because of the Suez crises the show was cancelled. Chic had long and successful career on Stage Television and Film. He died in Edinburgh in 1985 aged sixty-five.

Martin Compston 

Martin was born and bred in Greenock he attended St. Columba' High School in Gourock.

Martin signed for Morton after leaving school The lead role in Ken Loach's Sweet Sixteen which was filmed in the town.

The film became a hit and gave him instant celebrity status in Scotland he has gone on to appear in Monarch of the Glen  having served his appreticeship the fruits of his labour are coming to fruation whith three films coming out.

Neil Paterson 

Born James Edmund Neil Paterson in Greenock on 31st December 1916 Neil is a Academy Award winning screenwriter.

He started his carer as a footballer with Dundee United and was captain of the team in the 1936-37 season. After his carer was over he became a writer initially as a sports writer. He had  a number  of well received novels  and short  stories.

He received his Academy Award-winning script Room at the Top in 1959 Neil also won the Atlantic award for Literature in 1946

Later on he was governor of the British Film Institute, National Film School, And the Arts Council of Great Britain he died in Crieff Scotland.

      
Richard Wilson OBE

Richard was born in Greenock on the 9th July 1936  he was awarded his OBEin 1994,for services to drama as a director and actor. He is best remembered for his role as Victor Meldrew in One Foot in the Grave. 

 Hamish MacCunn

 

Hamish MacCunn was a romantic composer he was the son of a shipowner, He was born - March 22nd 1868 From 1888 to1894 he was a professor at the Royal College Music. He married Alison Pittie and had a son. He died aged forty eight. 

             

Henry Robertson Bowers  July 29th-1883-March 29th 1912

Henry Robertson Bowers (Birdie) was born in Greenock - 29th July 1883 at North Street on the     Esplande. Bowers was part Robert Falcon Scott ill- fated expedition to the South Pole 1912.

His father died over seas when he was three years of age and his mother and him moved to Kent. From an early age he longed for the sea and adventure and joined the Merchant service as a cadet on HMS Worcester.

After gaining his first mates ticket he joined the Royal Indian Marine. service.1905. At a lunch meeting he met Sir Clements Markham who had earlier organized Scott's Antarctic Expedition. Bowers impressed Clements that he recommended Bowers for Scott's expedition

Scott offered him a place on the "Terra Nova" without even interviewing him. Bowers had no previous polar experience. He only read Scott's accounts earlier on Discovery and Shackleton's  expedition in Nimrod.

Bowers was a highly skilled organizer and was put in charge of the ships stores. his power of memory served Scott  well. Bowers perished along with Scott and the others on the return journey of the expedition from the south pole in 1912.

Lawrence James Henry Tynes

Lawrence Tynes was born in Greenock May 3rd 1978. He is only the 5th Scottish born player  to play in NFL history. He is currently playing for the New York Giants. He also played 10 times for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europa in 2002. He started as a NFL career as a rookie free agent with Kansas City in 2001.

Jean Adam  (Poet)

Jean Adam was born in Greenock Apri 30th 1704 into a maritime family. Jean was a Scottish poet and her most famous  work is "There's Nae Luck Aboot The Hoose,"

It is reported that Robert Burns remarked on its quality in 1771 after her death. Jean had limited education in reading, writing. Her first encounter with poetry is when she read extracts from the work of Sir Phillip Sidney's romance The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia 1590.

She worked in domestic service at the West Kirk, Greenock. Her fist works didn't sell well. Her situation worsened after savings she had used to ship substantial number of copies to Boston USA. In a bid for success there. She died pennyless in a Glasgow workhouse on the 3rd April 1765.

Abram Lyle

Abram Lyle was born in Greenock in 1820 he is attribuated for founding Abram Lyle & suger refiners The company merged with Tate& Lyle in 1921.

At twelve years of age he became an apprentice in a lawyers office. He then joined his fathers cooperage business and with a friend , John Kerr the business became won of the biggest in Greenock.

He was heavily involved in the suger business in  the West Indies transporting suger. In 1865 along with his four partners he bought the Glebe Suger refinery to his other business intrest.

John Kerr died in 1872, Lyle sold his shares and searched for a new site for a new refinery. Lyle was Provost of Greenock  from 1876 to 1879. With his three sons purchesed two wharves in Plaistow in East London in 1881.

Sugar refineries belonging to Tate& Lyle continued as a major industry in Greenock until the late 1980s, The last refinery closed in 1997.

 William Quarrier 

William Quarrier founder of Quarrier homes was born in Greenock in 1829 at Crosshore Street. His farher was a ships capenter but died in 1834 from cholera in Canada his mother was left to bring up william and his to sisters they moved to Glasgow his mother kept the family going by doing fine sewing.

At the age of seven William started work in a pin factory as a hand machine operator and earned one shilling a week  doing ten hour days. Later on he became an apprenticeto aboot and shoemaker by twelve he became a journeyman and got work in ashop in Argyle Street in  Glasgow. a few years later he started his first boot shop and soon after he had another two  shops.

With his new found wealth he was able to marry his Christian faith help him through his early hardships and with the profit from his bussines he turned to help the poor and destitute children.In 1864 a boy who's stock of matches was stolen. Quarrier founded the shoeblack brigade this was followed a news brigade and then a parcels brigade. With this he set hedquarters of the Industrial Brigade in Trongate.

Unfortunely those projects proved to be not as successful as he had hoped and closed down in 1871. Quarrier turned his attenion to the formation of a orpanage home thus becoming Quarrier's Homes. Thanks to this man Quarrier's Homes between 1878 the mid 1980s have cared for over 30,000 children.

.Arthur Montford  (sports journalist)

Arthur Montford was born in Greenock and stayed in Bank street. He was the presenter of Scotport the longest running sports show in the world. Scotsport is in the (G B O R ) as the show ran for more than 30 years

Billy Campbell 

Billy campbell was born in the town in 1920. Billy signed for Morton in 1941, he combined playing and working as a turner for a local firm Hasties. Billy played at left back for the Ton and after some fine displays quickley attracted the Scottish national selectors.

He was a reserve for an International match against England in 1943. Billy got his first game six months later  against England but due to an under strengh scottish team they lost 8-0. Billy went on to play play unoffiical internationals against Wales in 1945, Northern Ireland 1946 and England April 1946

Tommy Orr 

Tommy Orr signed provisional forms in 1940, but it wasent long before his talent ensured a regular place in the full Morton side. Tommy played alongside the likes of Billy Steel, Billy Campbell, Johnny Kelly, and Johnny Crum. During the war Tommy served in the Royal Artillery as a lieutenant.

But it wasent until 1947 he returned full-time to Morton.During his playing days he was capped twice for his country,the first was against Northen Ireland in October 1951 at Winsor Park in a home international. Tommy was a great player he would have graced any team at the time hugely due to his footballing skills. Sadly he died in 1973 aged 49.

Jimmy Cowan 

Jimmy Cowan was Mortons greatest ever player he played 25 times for his country a record at the time. Morton got him on a free transfer in May 1944.

 

The signing was unusual to say the least  Noel Davies the son of the then Morton manager  was playing in a amateur match at Paisley, at half-time a teammate told noel he was speaking to a spectator who said he was Jimmy Cowan who had played for St Mirren but had give a free transfer as did Falkirk after a months trial. Noel told his dad who went up to Paisley the next day and signed him

 

Joe Harper

 

Harper played for Morton but he famously made his name for his goalscoring exploits for Aberdeen. Joe was born and bred in Greenock thus his first club being morton. 

 

Alec Byrne 

 

Alec Byrne signed for Celtic in 1954 from Gourock Juniors he stayed at the club until 1963.

he made his first team debut in 1956 1957 Alec never managed to command a regular a first team spot. But he however notch up a credible 30 goals. Alec was also part of Celtic's  first competitive European tie. The Inter City Fairs Cup against Valencia Celtic however lost 4-2 in the first leg tie.

 

Davie Provan

 

Alltough Davie was born in Gourock  he did go on to play for Kilmarnock and Celtic he earnd 10 caps for Scotland  he was also a non-playing member of Scotland's 1982 World Cup squad. Since his retirement he works for Sky Sports. He is also a regular on Radio Clyde

and has a colum for the News of the World.

 

 John McMaster

 

John McMaster was born in Greenock on the 23rd of February 1955 he spent the marjor part  of his career playing for Aberdeen FC. McMaster made 316 appearances for the club and scored 33 goals. He won many winners medals at the club between 1974 and 1986.

 

 Daniel Boyle   

 

 Daniel Boyle was born in Greenock  he is a writer and some of his credits are writing episodes of Rebus, Taggart, Hamish MacBeth and Inspector Morse. He has also done much more writing on other projects on television.

 

 Peter McDougall

 

Peter McDougall is a Greenock born television playwright who gained major success in the 1970s. His most famous work was  Just another Saturday.  He followed that up with Just a Boys' Game witch was set in Greenock  about  the razor gangs in the town. He also wrote Down Where the Buffalo Go starring Harvey Keitel. Peter other credits include. A Wily Couple  a comedy for BBC 2 and play for today The Elephants Graveyard.He also collaborated with John McKenzie on A Sence of Freedom, detailing the life of Jimmy Boyle.

 

Billy Gilliland

 

 Born in Greenock Billy Gilliland was ranked 1st in world mixed doubles at badminton 1985/86+1986/87 also won gold medal in mens doubles at the 1986 Commonwealth Games  competing for Scotland. Billy moved to Canada in 1987 to take up the postion as National Coach.

 

John McGeoch

 

John McGeoch guitarist who has played for some of the biggest bands of the post-punk era, Magazine, Visage, the Armoury show, Public Image Ltd, and Siouxsie& the Banshees. John has been cited by many artists as a major influence.