News from "The Earlston Comet", 1891

Among the items donated to the Auld Earlston Group is a photocopy of the first edition of "The Earlston Comet", published Saturday October 10th, 1891 at a price of one shilling. 
 

  
Old  newspapers are invaluable in giving us a picture of the times.  So what was occupying the mind of this new village journal? 

The editorial promised to "advocate measures that are for the moral, social and industrial benefits of the community" .

 Is public spirit in Earlston declining?   

This was the controversial question posed in a letter from  "Alick" who  deplored  the demise or non activity of several societies, including the Literary Society, with its programme of interesting lectures,  the Choral  Union "that did something creditable in the musical way" and the "well managed Ornithological Society of considerable pretensions with an annual exhibition,  and a competition which drew a large number of exhibitors and visitors".   He also asked that someone who was at the Public Picnic and was  "gifted with a graphic pen forward a description of  the  grand proceedings of that occasion for publication in the next edition of the "Comet". 

The letter ends:

"What  is to become of Earlston if something is not done to arrest  the galloping decline of  public spirit which seems to have set in with such virulence."

Unfortunately we do not have later  editions of the newspaper to find what reaction twas provoked by this viewpoint on the state of the village. 

 Among other  reports were:

• Under the heading of Local Jottings, the Right  Hon. Mr.  E Marjoribanks, M.P. and Whip for the Liberal Party,  was meeting his constituents and giving reports on  his stewardship - but he  omitted  to visit Earlston, much to the concern of the newspaper, which  questioned  "why"?
   
• A General Election  was looming,  with the prediction that Mr. Marjoribanks would not have a walk over.  Both political parties  (Liberal and Conservative) "were  working quietly but actively  ahead   of the forthcoming struggle".
   
• Fishing on the Leader had been badly affected by "a great flood and tempest on Monday September 21st - Black Monday, as it has been termed", when caulds at Leaderfoot and Earlston were washed away. The fishing fraternity were "desirous to maintain and protect" fishing on the Leader" and were proposing to petition landowners to put up fish ladders.
  
• The Harvest - the report noted that the harvest had now been gathered in and  "t is gratifying to note in better condition  than at one time expected, there being frequent storms of wind and rain.   With the serious failure of crops in Russia and otehr foreign countries there is every prospect that  agriculturalists  will have th beef nit of higher prices than have been experienced  for a number of years past." 
   
•  News of a Grand Pigeon Show in the Corn Exchange, followed by a dance 8pm to 10pm - with gentlemen admission 6d, but ladies free.
   
• George Crooks was offering pupils in Earlston tuition in the pianoforte, organ, harmonium, American organ and singing - and  also in Italian and Spanish language.

• As was the practice of the day, large advertisements had a prominent placing on the front page, with clothiers Thomas Clendinnen, David Wallace and  Miller's Drapery promoting their latest fashions. Also featured were boot-makers, James Ballantyne, Thomas Nichol and Alexander Young;  clock and watch maker George Pringle;  saddler and harness maker John McDonald;  and  grocer and ironmonger, Robert Smith. 

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Background Information
Finding  more information on "The Earlston Comet" proved a challenge, with the National Library of Scotland providing some answers, although it did not hold any copies of the title itself .  There  was mention of it  in "The Waterloo Directory of Scottish Newspapers and Periodicals, 1800-1900", and in  "Mitchell's Annual Newspaper Press  Directory".

The Earlston Comet" was published by William Norrie, with "frequency irregular" between 1891 and 1894 and was then  the only newspaper printed and published in Berwickshire" .

William Norrie adopted the name of "Waverley Press" for his  business, and wrote and published in 1891 a book "Edinburgh Newspapers, Past and Present".  Apart from those points,  William Norrie has proved very elusive with no information traced on him either in Edinburgh, Midlothian or the Border counties - surprising given that the 1891 census had taken place a few months before "The Earlston Comet" first appeared on the scene. 

It seems, however, that the title proved short lived. Perhaps  a contributor factor was the cost of one shilling (12 pennies)  which would be beyond many residents, given a loaf of bread cost around one  penny. 

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Earlston Kirk Session Records - Censure and Charity

EARLSTON KIRK SESSION RECORDS   provide us with a unique  social commentary on life in the village at the time - with the emphasis on chastisement and charity, as the church provided help to the poor and needy, but censure to those involved in what was regarded as moral turpitude.

The Kirk Session, made up of the Minister and the Elders of the parish,  was the local court of the Church of Scotland,  set up after the Reformation  of 1560 and the break with the Catholic Church of Rome.  Its duties were to maintain good order amongst its congregation, administer discipline and supervise the moral and religious condition of the parish. 

The Minute Books recorded:
Detailed accounts of income and expenditure.
Appointments of church officials,
Reports on the parish relating to poor relief, and the parish school.
Proclamations of banns, communion rolls, seat rent books and the hire of the mortcloths which was used to cover the coffin prior to burial.

Below  are some random entries from Earlston Kirk Session Records 1820-1901:

• 1st January 1843 - the Kirk Session agreed that:
  
  "The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper be dispensed on the second Sunday in February  and that the Thursday preceding shall be observed a day of humiliation but likewise as a day of thanksgiving  for the late abundant harvest".
• 17th January 1843 - "Paid three pounds, thirteen shillings and sixpence to William Scott, Saddler, for harness, and one pound, four shillings and seven pence for laying the gas pipe from the street to the church."
  
  

• 8th January 1861 -  the Session recorded the early history of the Parish School noting that it had opened the beginning of winter 1825. 
   

• 24th November 1856  - "Mr Daniel Aitkenhead , who was lately chosen to be schoolmaster of the parish, the Session unanimously appointed to the office of Session Clerk. At the same time they appointed Mr Robert Smith to the office of Treasurer and Mr Adam Shortreed to be precentor."
• 
   

• Mr Aitkenhead's signature appears at the end of many of the minutes.   He went on to serve Earlston in varied  roles, dying in 1922 aged 90. A memorial in the churchyard, erected by his pupils and friends noted that he was "a scholar for whom the ancient classics were his delight,  a teacher of rare merit and a man to all the country dear".

• 1st May 1864 - reflecting concern  for the poor, the young and the aged,   2/- was paid to a destitute family, 6/6 to a family for school fees, and 5/0 to Widow Watson.
• Bags of coal were regularly distributed to the poor, many of whom were listed as widows.  The local press reported on this gift  to around 50 poor of the parish who each received about 10-15cwt of fuel, supplied by William Gray, coal agent at Earlston Station. It was noted that this Kirk bounty would be very welcome in the severe winter.   Below a list of recipients in 1901.
  
• November 1862 saw a surprising entry which reflected the church's concern for a wider mission beyond the village,  with the decision that:

  A collection be made in the church on Sunday, the 23rd instant  in aid of the distressed cotton weavers in Lancashire.

  This was at the time of the American Civil War when a blockade of ports in the Southern states meant that raw cotton supplies were not reaching Lancashire and workers at the mills were unemployed and facing hardship.

• 4th December 1859 - the Kirk Session discussed  a £200 legacy  from William  Rutherford, spirit merchant of Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh to be used "for the benefit of the poor".  £200 in 1859 is equivalent to about £19.000 today, so a huge sum. According to a newspaper report on the bequest, Mr Rutherford was believed to be native of Earlston.

• Two pages of accounts for 1864 note payments to Robert Shillinglaw  (a church official}, the salary to the precentor increased to £10 per annum, for communion wine, and  the  cleaning of the church yard walls, - and a rather unusual entry for the supply of cod liver oil.
• Income came from legacies, church collections, fees for proclamation of the banns, from fines,  and from the hiring of the hearse and mortcloth for burials.  It was customary for Kirk Sessions to hire out a mortcloth (funeral pall) to cover the coffin or corpse during the funeral service.  From the point of view of family historians, the Earlston records unfortunately do not name  the deceased person.
  
  
  
  
• Many entries abound with the church's concern for what was termed "ante-nuptial fornication". The notable feature of these record is the fact it is the woman who bears the brunt of the  "rebuked".
  
  
• 7th May 1820 - it was confession time for Isabel Dunn - although she had had a child out of wedlock, she now wished to have her church privileges restored. Compassion was duly shown.
   
• As late as 14th October 1901,  a woman was brought before the Kirk Session  to be questioned on her "sin of fornication and having a child out of wedlock". 

"Having confessed  in sorrow for her sins and resolution to walk through grace in newness of life, the Moderator after solemn admonition did in the name of the Kirk Session absolve her from the scandal of her sin  and restore her to the privileges of the church,"

How attitudes have changed!

Note:  Parochial boards later took over responsibility for matters such as poor relief, with elected parish councils introduced in 1894. 

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Scottish Kirk Session Records are not available online,  but many archive centres across the country have them available in a digitised format for their area,  including the Heritage Hub, at Hawick, which serves  the whole of the Scottish Borders.

Earlston Blacksmiths

Horses are absolutely necessary in this part of the country, for it is by them the farmers labour their farms and drive their corn to market.  They never work with oxen now as they did formerly" - a quote from "The First Statistical Account of Scotland" written 1791-1799.  

Sixty years on,  the 1851 census for Earlston (including Mellerstain and Redpath) lists 9 men working as  blacksmiths, 7 carters/carriers, 3 saddlers, 2  stable boys, an ostler, a farrier, a groom and a coachman - plus of course all those who would be working  with horses on the many farms in the parish.   

The Old Smiddy on the Green 

One of the most prominent families of blacksmiths in the village   were the Brotherstons who worked in Redpath and Earlston down many generations and still man  the  Smiddy  at the East End today.

 

In the 1851 census for Earlston Parish, 49 year old Andrew Brotherston, blacksmith  was at Redpath with his wife Jessie and five children - Margaret, John, William, Isabella and young Andrew. Ten years on, he was still at Redpath   where in the census,  he was described as a "master blacksmith employing one apprentice".  Andrew senior died in 1867.

John and Andrew followed their father in the family business and by 1881 were working in the East End, Earlston as "smiths and implement  makers".

Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of 1882 listed three blacksmith businesses in the village:
John Brotherston - also an agricultural implement maker
Robert Lee  - also an agricultural impement maker and engineer
James Wilkie 
 

By the time of the 1901 census,  John Brotherston    was  at 119 High Street, with his wife Susan and young son James. John was a prominent member of Earlston Horticultural Society,   with his name featuring often in the local press reports as a prize winner at the annual shows.   

The 1903 Directory for the village showed John and  his brother Andrew As blacksmiths.  John died  two years later in December 1905. 

Continuing the family business in their ancestor's smiddy were John's son,   James,   and grandson John.

 

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Earlston - the first with an aerodrome in 1931

 

This poster from  local historian, the  late John Weatherly,   is now in the collection of Auld Earlston.  Printed in Galashiels, it appears to be a "shell" poster, with space to fill in the details of date and venue. 

The event promised

"Famous pilots, aerobatics, stunts, looping, rolling, upside down flying,  crazy flying and  walking the wings at 100m.p.h. by Daredevil Draycott - the man who rides the winds" - plus passenger flights from  5 shillings a time.

But where and when  did these events take place. Did you know that Earlston once  had an aerodrome?   A search of local newspapers provided information. 
  
 "The Scotsman" of 1st August 1931 had a brief item under the headline "Earlston's Aerodrome" - also carried by "The Hawick News & Border Chronicle".

"The Berwickshire News" of 28th July 1931  gave a fuller account, with the revelation that the local firm of Messrs Wm Rodger & Sons owned the plane. 

"Earlston is very fortunate in being the first town in Berwickshire to witness an aeronautic display.  On Monday evening a large number of Earlstonians were entertained to a succession of thrills by the advent of an aeroplane, the property of Messrs W. Rodger  & Sons which gave several aerial exhibitions at a newly constructed aerodrome at Purveshaugh, Earlston.  The enterprising firm is lucky to have secured the services of an skilled aviator and pilot   in the person of Mr J. Hinklin of Hornchurch and late of the Royal Air Force.  They have also secured the services of a competent ground engineer  viz Mr. J. Hellon  of the Scarborough Aero Club.  The pilot gave a thrilling exhibition of  flying in the presence of a crowd of nearly 400 spectators, many of whom were desirous of "getting up".  Messrs Rodgers gave a couple of free flights which were greatly enjoyed and appreciated.  It is understood that operations are to commence immediately".  

The next week's paper of  4th August 1931 noted that

"A considerable number of spectators...visited the Purveshaugh Aerodrome , near Earlston...when about 100 persons of both sexes, mainly young people, booked flights  and were taken up in   Messers Rodgers aeroplane.  The plane had also been in commission the previous evening when 50 passengers went up. All seemed to enjoy the novel and enthralling sensation".

What was the background to this event?
Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first powered flight on December 17th  1903. 

The aeroplane came of age in World War One and tens of thousands were produced in the UK alone. But, despite there being hundreds of sites used by fixed-wing aircraft across the UK, most British people had never been close to an aircraft and it appears that a quite large proportion of the population still hadn't actually seen one.

On 24th July 1924 "The Southern Reporter" thought it noteworthy to write that:  

"Three aeroplanes  passed over the west end of Earlston about 8.30 a.m  but were observed by comparatively few persons.

 Wikipedia

Following the First World War, experienced fighter pilots were eager to show off their new skills, flying into towns across the country, as well as taking paying passengers for rides. It was men like Alan Cobham who promoted air tours to raise awareness of the importance of aviation. To attract the crowns, he included displays of not just aerobatics, but stunt' flying too.

Not all sections of society were in agreement with his intensive event schedule.   in Berwick, the Lord's Day Observance Society  objected to Commercial Air Displays and Pageants being held on a Sunday - but the council decided to take no action. on the complaint. (Reported in "The Southern Reporter": 3rd December 1931.)


"The Berwickshire News" of August  1932 reflected the interest in this new form of transport with reports~ 

"Considerable interest  was evinced....by several Earlstonians of the younger generation, especially when one of Messrs Rodger's aeroplanes landed in a field adjacent to the local football pitch owned by Mr Alexander Brownlie, The machine which had just arrived from Blairgowrie after a successful series of fights, under the pilotage of Mr Wells, made  a convenient landing preparatory to being overhauled  for further service. " 

 

An optimistic  writer in "The  Berwickshire News" of 9th September 1930 expressed the hope that@

"We must concern ourselves  with the laying out of aerodromes. I thoroughly believe that it will not be long before every town planning scheme will include provision for aeroplane traffic."  

In Britain commercial air travel began with the formation of Imperial Airways in 1924 and developed in the 1930's for those people who could afford it.     A flight from London to Brisbane, Australia, for instance, (the longest route available in 1938) took 11 days and included over two dozen scheduled stops. One advisement boasted "By Air to South Africa or India in less than a week!"

1939 of course changed the face of air travel, as war became the focus.  

Never again was Earlston  to be at the forefront of the aeroplane age in the Borders.