By George Robertson In 1886, Alexander Stewart published his book “Reminiscences of Dunfermline – Sixty Years Ago”, which contains a selection of fifty-six stories concerning people and events in Dunfermline. In his Prefatory Note to the book, Stewart remarks “no town in Britain excelled Dunfermline fifty or sixty years ago for the number of intelligent, thrifty, shrewd, good-living people, many of whom were quaint in their ways, and out of the common run”. This viewpoint might well be challenged as an exaggeration but there is no doubt Stewart captured the flavour of Dunfermline and it’s people at the time in question. From a local history point of view, the book is useful since Stewart describes in some detail events taking place in the town and the behaviour of its townspeople. It is my intention to retell some of these stories and I begin with Stewart’s description of the early history of – Dunfermline Post-Office “Between fifty and sixty years ago the Post-Office was a very primitive establishment. Letters were carried to and from Dunfermline in large canvas wallets slung on horseback, and the post-boy carried a long tin horn to herald the approach and departure of the Royal Mail. For some years Mr Andrew Angus, printer, was postmaster, and after he died in 1833 he was succeeded by his daughter Catherine, who had been his assistant. The Post-Office was then in Kirkgate, and it was a place of small dimensions. Miss Angus was postmistress till 1851, when…
The Poor School
At the end of the Eighteenth century Scotland, and Dunfermline had very limited school provision, but several religious societies were working to try to improve things. In “The Life and Times of the Poor School of Dunfermline” Jean Barclay describes the short, but not straightforward, history of the Charity or Poor School.
Stevensons – Auctioneers and Removals
William Stevenson & Sons, House Furnishers, Auctioneers and Removal Experts, is the next article in George Beattie’s series on Dunfermline’s Industrial and Commercial past. William Stevenson, worked at several trades before starting this successful firm, which was based for many years in Bruce Street. As always in George’s articles, this one contains some fascinating photographs of Dunfermline’s more recent past.
George Robertson FSA, Keeper of Dunfermline Abbey and Palace
By George Robertson. Captain George Robertson, Dunfermline Volunteer Rifle Corps. (DCL & G collection) Perhaps, before going further, it should be said there is no family relationship between the subject of this article and the author. My interest in George Robertson, (FSA Scot), began some years ago when, during research into other people, places and events pertaining to Dunfermline, his name appeared on a regular basis. Naturally, due to the names being the same, the question arose, who was this other George Robertson? George was born during 1835 in Dunfermline, the second eldest in a family of six children born to Robert Robertson and his wife Susan Spittal. Robert was a draper, with shop premises at numbers 2 and 6 Bridge Street, Dunfermline. (1) Details of George’s early life are few and we have to rely on official documents to gain some idea of this. The 1841 census for Dunfermline shows him living with his parents and two brothers in Bridge Street, Dunfermline, with father described as a draper. The 1851 census then shows the family have moved and are living in the village of Limekilns and George, now fifteen years old, has three brothers and two sisters. His father is again described as a draper, employing 15 men. George and his older brother Peter are also shown to be drapers, no doubt working for their father. At the time of the 1861 census we find the family have again moved this time to North Queensferry, where George and his younger brother…
Ye Murderer of Her Owne Childe
In “The Execution of Janet Mitchell – The Murderer of Her Owne Childe” Jean Barclay tells the tragic story of the last woman to be hanged in Dunfermline. This happened in 1709 and the case shows how differently people thought then, three hundred years ago.