John William Cairns (1919 - 1929)

Born 1919 in Scotland, United Kingdom

Died 31 Dec 1929 at about age 10 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

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Biography

John was born in 1919. He was the son of Charles Bewley Cairns and Jane Sloan Neill Anderson. He died in 1929, aged 10.^[1]

John was a victim of the Glen Cinema Disaster which occurred on 31 Dec 1929. About 1,000 children were attending a children's matinee, when smoke from a smouldering film canister was seen. In the panic and crush which ensued, 69 children were killed and over 40 were injured, 2 of whom also died in the following days. ^[2][3][4]

John's older brother, Charles, found him in the cinema, holding a shining torch which he had given him for Christmas. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ "Statutory registers - Deaths" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 21 Nov 2020), CAIRNS, JOHN WILLIAM, age 10, 1930, Paisley; citing Reference Number: 573/1 56.
2. ↑ The Scotsman - Wednesday 01 January 1930: (British Newspaper Archive)
3. ↑ BBC Scotland News, Published 31 December 2019: (Glen Cinema article)
4. ↑ Glasgow Live News: 30 Dec 2019: (Glen Cinema article)
5. ↑ Personal memories, as told to Charles' family. (Information received by email 26 Dec 2020 - Baxter-4158)