Headlines on Earlston

Old newspapers make fascinating reading for anyone interested in local history, as they  reflect life,  in all its aspect, as it was at the time.  Here are some random snippets on Earlston from the local press.

• NEW COACH EDINBURGH TO JEDBURGH VIA EARLSTON  
  Calling at Pathhead, Carfrae Mill, Lauder, Earlston, Leaderfoot.
  To Jedburgh In Five Hours. 
  Fares to Jedburgh only 5 shillings outside;  6 shillings inside.
  Caledonian Mercury:  29th September 1843
  
  
  FIRST CAR SIGHTED ON EARLSTON HIGH STREET
  Southern Reporter: 24th March 1898
  
  

  "A motor car passed through the village on Sunday morning.  The two gentlemen who were driving it left Newcastle-on-Tyne the previous day en route for Edinburgh. In this neighbourhood one of the tyres got damaged  and it was resolved to put up at the Red Lion. 

  
  

  This was done and the  car when it reached the hotel, being stopped for a little while was quickly surrounded  and examined with no small degree of curiosity, this being the first time  such a machine  has been seen  in operation here. "

  
   A REBUKE TO THE CONGREGATION

  "The Rev. Dr. Mair, Moderate to the Established Assembly, when preaching on the Sabbath Day in Earlston Parish Church, stopped in his discourse and severely rebuked members of the Congregation, who had not being paying attention to the sermon."

  
  
  

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The State of the Village was of concern, with reports on  street paving, water supplies, and street lighting.

A NEW SUPPLY OF WATER.  Berwickshire News:  7th January 1879

 

PAVING OF THE STREETS:  Berwickshire News:  17th  January 1871. 

"A Public Meeting of the inhabitants of Earlston was held in the Reading Room Hall on Wednesday evening to consider the subject of making pathways on each side of the main street. Wm.  Colesworth,   Esq. of Cowdenknowes was called to the chair. As all agreed to the necessity of these pathways and the great comfort and convenience  to have them, he hoped that the efforts to obtain them would be successful. This was carried unanimously.  Thereupon a large committee was appointed with Mr Colesworth and Charles Wilson, manufacturer as joint conveners, and Mr Balfour as Secretary who was charged with canvassing the town for subscriptions. Messrs Rodgers, Wallace, Wood and Murdison  to report on the various modes of making such pathways as would be suitable. "

ELECTRIC STREET LIGHTING A DISAPPOINTMENT - Berwickshire  News: 5th  Sept. 1933

The change from gas to electric was not welcomed, with the lamps too high, the power too weak and the lamps to far apart.

Looking towards the West End High Street, c.1910

PROFESSIONAL TRAMP NUISANCE
Robert Smith Earlston  Inspector of the Poor sent a letter to the press deploring the "Professional Tramp Nuisance"  in the village.   Berwickshire News:  22nd February 1906.

FIRST AID LECTURES - Berwickshire News:  23rd February 1893

                                     

Thank

GRAND BAZAAR Berwickshire News:  October  1910

OTHER ADVERTISEMENTS THAT CAUGHT THE EYE - Berwickshire News:  June 1919 

CHILDREN ENTERTAIN  

Southern Reporter: 6th March 1906

"Kinderspiel" was a German term often used in this period, meaning a play or piece of musical theatre performed by children.
 
EARLSTON JUNIOR TOWN BAND IN CONCERT  -  Berwickshire News: 14th January 1919 - with the  reporter waxing  eloquently in a colourful account of a school concert where:

"The finale  was the performance of Earlston Junior Clown Band, trained by Miss Gill, one of the teachers, and her pupils did her infinite credit.  This  was thought to be the crowning performance of the evening and caused a great sensation.   Their grotesque garments and equally grotesque musical  performance  made the bandsmen the heroes of the hour, the observed of all observers, the cynosure of every eye.  Their contribution to the evening  was a veritable  triumph  and was rewarded with tremendous applause."

You do wonder what their "grotesque musical performance" sounded like! 

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With grateful thanks  to Jeff Price and Richard Smith, members of the Auld Earlston Group,

for their contributions to this post. 

Early News of our Next Exhibition - Earlston in War and Peace 1914-1949

"Earlston in War and Peace 1914-1949" is the theme of the next Auld Earlston Exhibition and Slide Show to be held in the Church Hall on  October 20th and 21st 2018. 

Auld Earlston Chairman,  David Lothian,  said “November 11th 1918 marks the end of the First World War and we thought it appropriate to look at what life was like in Earlston around the time of the two world wars, also in the inter-war years and the  aftermath in the late1940's.  most noted locally for the harsh winter and Berwickshire floods.  

Much of  the material on show we have not displayed before and we anticipate  it will be of interest to our visitors, who have given us  great support to our previous events."

Complementing the Exhibition will be the popular slide shows,   with the key feature this year  a fascinating old cine film, now digitised, of Earlston in the 1930’s and 1940’s".

We would welcome your help!  

Do you have any photographs, postcards, memories and memorabilia  of this period?   

If so, we would be pleased to hear from you, with a view to it being featured in the exhibition.  Items  can be copied and returned to you, or can be  donated to the Auld Earlston Collection.  

For further information contact:

Tel. 01896 848240:  E-mail auldearlston@aol.com 

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank You  

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Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurses from the First World War  outside the  Manse, Earlston.   

Can anyone identify the nurses? 

 

This colourful patriotic certificate was issued to schoolchildren during the First World War, often at Christmas, or a variation of it on Empire Day   

This was the first time that the whole nation had been mobilised to play a part in the war effort, and here young Mary Denham, mother of David Lothian, was commended for helping  " to send some comforts and happiness  to the Brave Men who are Fighting to  uphold the Freedom of our Glorious Empire". 

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Travel around Earlston in Times Past.

AN EARLSTON TRAVEL TIMELINE

c, 1737  - Craigsford Bridge was built over the Leader Water, carrying what was then  the main route north  and south.

1765 - The Turnpike Act authorised the planning and building of a new road from Lauder to Kelso  via Purveshaugh, near Earlston. 

1768 - A Turnpike Act provided a new road between Lauder and the Tweed at Leaderfoot, the route going by Blainslie and Craisgford to the west of Earlston. with considerable improvement to the existing route between Newtown and Jedburgh and onto Carter Bar. 

1778 - A bridge was built over the River Tweed at Leaderfoot, replacing the ferry crossing. Its narrow structure, more suited  to horses and carts, remained in use for 200 years, until  a new road bridge spanned the river in 1974.  

1795 - The first regular coach service introduced between Kelso and Edinburgh, via Smailholm and Lauder,  with a later stop  at Earlston for changing horses.  The journey initially  took 10 hours! 

1830's - The "Tweedside" coach between Kelso and Edinburgh offered a daily service, leaving Edinburgh 8am. Lauder 12.30pm, Earlston 1.30pm and arriving at Kelso 2pm - a six hour journey. 

1834 - Road built between Earlston and Greenlaw.  

1849 - The Waverley Rail Line opened between Edinburgh and Hawick, extended to Carlisle in  1862. 

1850 - A new road was built following the line of the Leader Water, between Lauder and Newtown, via Earlston  (the current Thorn Street).  

1852 -  As the railways took over as a mode of travel,   the last  coach service  was withdrawn from the Borders. On country roads, the only vehicles were private carriages and farm carts. 

1863 - The Berwickshire Railway reached Earlston.  

 

1865 - The opening of Leaderfoot Viaduct and the completion of the Berwickshire Railway line from Reston to Newtown. 

1890's - The introduction of the "safety bicycle" brought in the first hey days of  leisure cycling. 

1890's - The Arrol-Johnston, built by George Johnston in Glasgow, was one  of the first cars ever built in the world. 

1903 - Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first powered flight. 

1931 - Earlston Aerodrome opened at Purveshaugh, with a William Rodger's plane offering  air displays and passenger flights. 

   

1948 - Major floods in Berwickshire restricted train traffic  through Earlston to goods only.

1965 - The Berwickshire Railway closed, as part of the Beeching cuts.  

1974  - A new concrete bridge was built over the River Tweed at Leaderfoot to take modern day A68 traffic.   

 

 

 Sources: 

• Borders Highway by  John J. Mackay
• Local Newspapers

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CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM AULD EARLSTON

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 

To All Our Blog Readers 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photographs of Earlston Christmas Lights

 

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A Look at Life in Earlston in the 1860's

  What was life like in Earlston in the 1860's?

 We get a picture from two key sources:

• "Rutherfurd’s Southern Counties Register and Directory,  containing  much useful and interesting information and very complete lists connected with the Counties of Roxburgh, Berwick and Selkirk", published by Rutherfurd Printers, Kelso in 1866.  

• The 1861 Census for Earlston Parish" - with information on households, ages, occupations, and birthplace. 

  The 1860's was a significant decade in Earlston history: 

• The Commercial Bank of Scotland opened a branch in the village  in 1864. 
• The Berwickshire Railway from Reston reached  Earlston in 1863 and was extended  to Newtown in 1865,  with the completion of the Leaderfoot Viaduct.
• The Corn Exchange opened in the Market Square in 1868.
  
  
  
  Earlston's Bank on the right
  

At a personal level:

• Even in 1900, the average life expectancy for a man was only 47, and for a woman 50 - figures influenced by the prevalence of disease in crowded cities and the very high rate of infant deaths. The first annual report of the Registrar General for Scotland, published in 1861, reported that the highest proportion of deaths occurred in children under five. 
• In Earlston Parish  in 1861,  there were 48 residents  in their 70's, 15 in their 60's and 2 aged 90 - a totally elderly population of just 3.5%. 
  
• Child employment was a feature of life, as recorded  in the 1861 Census:
  From the age of 11, boys  were agricultural  labourers and girls  domestic servants. Under 14's were also employed as  a cotton winder,  a cotton factory piecer,  as workers in a woollen factory, a power loom weaver,  labourers in a timber yard, and as  apprentice s a shoemaker, tailor, and grocer.    
  
  Rutherfurd's Southern Counties Directory of 1866  noted that:

”The population of the parish were 825 who constituted 1399 families.  152 were living in a house with one window, 130 in houses having two windows, leaving 52 who lived in houses with three or more windows.

The principal landed proprietor was the Earl of Haddington,  who possesses two thirds of the rental. 

Earlston  possesses one extensive woolen manufactory - the only one in the county  and also produces quantities of the well known Earlston gingham - There is no other place in the  country where the same class of gingham is made.

Earlston itself is remarkably healthy.  It is also thoroughly drained and it has a fine supply of water recently laid down. 

The Edinburgh and Kelso coach road intersects the parish .  This, as well as other roads,   are well kept.  Carriers travel  to Edinburgh and Kelso  and there is a conveyance to Newtown Station every morning and evening. 

Mail arrives 10.40am & 7pm and is collected 6.30am, and 6pm with the promise  that letters are delivered immediately after arrival.  Postmaster is  William Crockett  with David Trotter and David Swanston post runners. 

Few holidays are held.  Fairs are held in June and October for feeding cattle, cows and horses".

The Directory also listed organisations, office bearers and local shops and trades in the village:

Robert Smith was a busy man.  For besides  being a General Merchant,  he was  Inspector of the Poor, Kirk Treasurer, and Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths. 

Daniel Aitkenhead was master of the parochial school, with a roll of 120 and also Heritors Clerk  and  Session Clerk at the parish church.  

There were 56 residents on the poor roll.                       

The entry for the three churches reflected their importance in the local community:
Rev. David Gordon was minister of the Parish Church which had seating for 800.  
Rev. John Ketchie  was minister of the United Presbyterian Church (West) where there were seats for 200.
Rev. Alexander Henderson was minister of the United Presbyterian Church (East) with seating for 400.   

  United Presbyterian Church (East)

The listing of shops and trades showed the range of services available for daily life:

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.

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The 1861 Census:
The total population of the parish was given as 1826.  The population of the village of 
Earlston itself  was given as  981 - 444 males and 537 female.  The outlying areas of the 
parish included "the village of Fans", "village and mansion house of Mellerstain", and 
Redpath, with a total rural population of 845 - 284 males and 461 females. 

Some entries catch the eye:

•       Charles Wilson, Master Manufacturer of Blankets, and Plaidings and Tweeds, employing 28 men and 44 women, boys and young women.
   
•       The Manse had eleven  rooms. occupied by the Rev Gordon, his wife, two daughters, a grandson and two servants,
   
•       A 68 year old man, described as a retired post boy.  
   
•       58 year old  Ann Purves described as a a stay maker(presumably corsets).
   
•       59 year old Alexander Mathewson, a lamp lighter.
   
•       Francis Brigleman, a 70 year old retired ship master, born in Germany, but lodging in Kidgate, Earlston.
   
•       Euphemia Hislip, librarian at the Reading Room. 
   
•       Widow Agnes Edmunds aged 73 whose occupation was given as "keeps mangle".
  
•       Some sad entries noted  "Idiotic from birth". "imbecile" and "dumb from birth".
•      
  The Leslie family, lived at 20 Main Street in a house with nine rooms - Andrew Leslie, (a master tailor and clothier employing 5 journeymen and three apprentices), his wife, six daughters aged 1 to 19, a servant and two apprentices.
  But at no. 23 Main Street was the Moffat family living in two rooms - James Moffat, a master flesher, his wife, two daughters and four sons, a servant and a visitor - a large household for the space.
  
  Many of the properties, in the higher numbers 46-98 Main Street, saw families living in only one or two rooms,
• 
   
•       On Earlston Green in the Open Air  were four men and four women  aged from 6 to 51 - but no other details given apart from one occupation as "hawker of crockery".  Bearing in mind the census was taken 7th April 1861,  they were living in  harsh living conditions.  
   
•       In the rural  hinterland of the village, one room accommodation was common for agricultural workers.
   
•       Fans was described as a village, with twenty-four households, At East-End was Thomas Frier, described as a "farmer of 2300 acres, employing 24 men and 33 women & boys." A widower, he shared his home with his two sons, two female servants, two shepherds, and a stable boy. 
   
•       Mellerstain had thirty-three households listed  ranging from small two room cottages,  to the fifty-four rooms of Mellerstain mansion, occupied on census night only by George and Georgina Baillie Hamilton, the Earl and Countess of Haddington, and four servants.
   
•       Carolside Mansion with twenty-three rooms  was home to  William Fairholme and his wife, three  small daughters and seven  servants - a butler, coachman, cook,  lady's maid. two housemaids and an under housemaid aged 15.
  
  
  
  
  
•       Cowdenknows House had twenty rooms rooms, occupied by Robert Cotesworth, his wife, son and daughter-in-law, and seven  servant.   In neighbouring properties lived the head gardener, coachman,  gamekeeper, gatekeeper. farm steward, farmers and ploughman.
•       Redpath was home to thirty-one households.  Occupations here were more varied and included a blacksmith, a woollen weaver, linen weaver,  stocking knitter, tailor,  seamstress, and mason.
  
  
  

In summary, Earlston was probably very typical 

of village society in mid Victorian Scotland.  

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 In Case You Missed:  Click On:
Life in Earlston in the 1790's  
      Life in Earlston in the 1830's
      Life in Earlston in the Late 19th Century

Auld Earlston would be delighted to feature short articles

 from contributors on memories of the village's past.    

Please contact:  auldearlston@aol.com