Martin Rogers says

Chris    A village of tin huts was created close to but not within the Dockyard area.  The first phase was for men who were building the Dockyard but a second phase was added for men (and their families) who had come to Rosyth to work in the Dockyard.  The second phase was built in 1914 and included the houses in Stuart Road.  As your great grandfather was from Kent he may possibly have worked at Chatham Dockyard and transferred to Rosyth.  There are old postcards views and photos of this Tin Town as it was called. Great Michael Road is a bit puzzling as that was within the boundaries of the Dockyard and so, far as I know, there were no houses in the Dockyard.

Martin Rogers

David Dunbabin says

Hi Martin, just came accross this site,found it very interesting Re: the tin huts,during my family history search in trying to trace my father who i never knew,i have received a copy of his birth cert showing he was born in Rosyth village,further research has revealed his father and mother my G/parents, were working on the construction of the dockyard at that location i was wandering if you could point me in the right direction of any history sites of the dockyard and accomodation for employees,as i do recall the words Tin Town poping up my fathers name was

Alexander Arthur Dunbabin b 10th March 1914 Rosyth Village Inverkeithing, Scotland, My Grandfather was

William Alfred Charles Welch Dunbabin b 11th Feb 1880 Heanstead,Norfolk, your previous replys to othersmention books Re:the dockyard and Tin Town would you know if they contain old photos of same? would be very grateful for any help you could give me on this matter. Regards. David Dunbabin.

Martin Rogers says

David

Tin Town was built in 2 phases.  The earlier phase (1913) was for men working on the building of the Dockyard.  The later phase (1914) was mainly for men working in the Dockyard.  The first phase had  large communal huts shared by 20 + men but often with  portions set aside  for a family or families.  These large huts did not have street numbers and I don't think the streets had names.  Operating in the Tin Town was a Navvy Mission and this was at the centre of village life.  They published a monthly magazine and, it so happens, I have copies of the issues for 1914.  (The orginal is in the Dunfermline Carnegie Library.)  I have had a look through this and have come across a note of your father's birth although it does give his name as Alexander Arthur Dunbobbin and his date of birth as 12 March.  The address is given as No 2 Bungalow which suggests that he lived in the first phase of Tin Town.  In a later edition of the magazine his baptism is recorded as having taken place on 28 June although it wrongly refers to "Alexandra, son of Mr & Mrs Dunbobbin."   There are a few photos in the magazine and in one of the Sunday School Concert Party  in March 1914, there is a girl Annie Dunbobbin presumably your dad's sister.  A book I wrote called Images of Rosyth (later re-printed in a smaller size as Pocket Images of Rosyth) does have photos of the 2nd phase of Tin Town and the concert party I refer to earlier.  The pocket version is still in print and you will be able to get a copy through a bookshop.  The ISBN is 978-1-84588-497-0 and it is published by Nonsuch Publishing Ltd (The History Press).  There are a number of early postcards views of Tin Town in existence which show the first phase. 

I will try to post some of these old photos on this website under the Pics/videos tab.

I hope this is of interest to you.

Martin. 

David Dunbabin says

Martin

Thank you for responding,i found your reply very interesting and i will

be contacting the History Press for a copy of the book.

once again many thanks.

Dave Dunbabin