Ninety Years of Earlston Businesses

 In 1866  Rutherfurd's Southern Counties Directory of 1866  listed the shops and trades in Earlston.   These numbered:

28 Farmers
10 Grocers/general merchants/spirit merchants  
4  Shoemakers  
7 Dressmakers,/clothiers/drapers. 
5 Innkeepers  at the Black Bull Inn, Commercial Inn, Newton's Hotel, Temperance Hotel,
and White Swan inn.
3 Carriers, Fleshers/Butchers, and Medical Practitioners, 
2 Bakers,  Blacksmiths, Cattle Dealers and Joiners.
1 Banker, Bookseller/Stationer/Printer,  Builder, Farrier, Joiner, Mole-catcher,Painter, Saddler, Salter, Thatcher, Timber Merchant, Tinsmith, and Watchmaker.  

**********

Ninety years later  Macdonald's Trade Directory of 1956-57 featured the following businesses.

AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS      Thomas Purves, High Street      John Rutherford & Sons, Rhymers Mill.	CHEMIST ·    W. Mitchell & Son, Market Square
BAKERS      R. Douglas, Earlston Bakeries, High Str.     J. Weatherly, High Street.	COAL MERCHANT      A & G. Anderson Ltd.
BANK      Commercial Bank of Scotland, High Str.  Manager, R. A. Thomson	CONFECTIONERS      E. S. Burrell, The Square      R. Douglas, High Street      T. J. Featherston, Main Street
BLACKSMITHS ·   J. A. Brotherston, East End.	FISHMONGER      McQuillin, The Square.
BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERS & NEWSAGENTS     W. Simpson Henderson, Market Square.     Also lending library & gift shop.	GROCERS      T. Bell, Thorn Street      R & A. Forrest, High Street.  Hardware, china, wine & spirit merchant      Earlston United Co-operative,  Station Road ·    W. Park & Sons, High Street Wine & spirit merchant
BUTCHERS     Wm. Donaldson, The Square.	JOINERS      W. Kerr & Sons, High Street. Also undertaker
BUILDING CONTRACTORS      Alex Blair & Sons, Mill Road.      Kings & Co., East End.      William Rodger, Builders Ltd.	MOTOR ENGINEERS & AGENT     John Readman and Son. Westfield Road. Motor cars for hire,  also cycle and radio dealers and electrical engineers.
PAINTER & DECORATOR      Fisher & Sons, The Square.	SCOTCH TWEED MANUFRS.      Simpson & Fairbairn Ltd., Rhymers Mill.
PLUMBER      Thomas Walsh  & Son, High Street.	SLATERS      J. & W. Holland, 8 High Street. Also roof plumbing and chimney sweeping.
PUBLIC HOUSE LICENCE HOLDERS ·      I. G. Spence,  White Swan ·      Mrs E. P. Boag,  Black Bull ·      Red Lion Hotel, The Square.	TEA ROOM      F. & J. Weatherly, High Street
RADIO AND TELEVISION      R. & A. Forrest, High Street. HMV and Bush dealers; sales and service	UPHOLSTERER ·      Fraser, Station Road.

Note:  Businesses had to pay for entries in the Directory, so this listing is not comprehensive of  all the shops and services in the village at that time. 

***********

Then and Now 

An early photograph looking across the West Green, with the trees planted in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria's Jubilee.  The corner block was built in the 1860's by master grocer Christopher Sanderson.  

Rutherford's Newsagent and Barber in what became known as Barber's Corner  at the West Green, c.1950's.  

 

Barber's Corner, West Green in 2019.


***************