This 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. William Stevenson & Sons, House Furnishers, Auctioneers & Removal Experts by George Beattie William Stevenson was born in 1856 at Martyr’s Place, Dunfermline, the son of a local linen warper.   On leaving school he served an apprenticeship as a power loom mechanic in one of the Dunfermline Linen Factories. In the 1881 census William, then a 24 year old power loom mechanic, and his wife Mary, are residing at South Inglis Street, Dunfermline. He moved to Alloa where he set up in business as fruiterer, a venture he remained in for a number of years until he returned to Dunfermline around 1900 where he set up as an auctioneer (Note 1). It is thought that Mr Stevenson perhaps began this career whilst still in Alloa. In the 1901 census William and his family are back in Dunfermline, residing at 32 Hill Street, with his occupation given as auctioneer/fruiterer.  In the 1910/11 Dunfermline Trade Directory, William’s auctioneering business address is 30 Bruce Street. A Stevenson Auction advert of 1910 indicates that at that time his auction sales were conducted in the Drill Hall, Bruce Street and that…
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
The Execution of Janet Mitchell – The Murderer of Her Owne Childe by Dr. Jean Barclay In 1709 Janet Mitchell, who was about 28 years old and worked as a servant maid for John Watt in Sunnyside, Saline, was tried in Dunfermline and hanged for the murder of her new-born child (1).  The case rested on an `Act anent murdering of Children` 1690 which attempted to suppress the prevalent crime of child murder. Under this severe act, a woman did not have to physically kill her child but if she concealed her pregnancy or did not call for assistance at the birth and the child was found dead or missing, she was held `ye Murderer of her owne Child` even if there was no wound or bruise on the body. Any woman found guilty in the terms of this act was to be punished with `the pains of death` and `escheat of her moveables` (confiscation of her property) (2).  While the act may have helped to reduce child murder there seems little doubt that many innocent women were unjustly accused and executed or banished. This was arguably the case with Janet Mitchell. On May 15th 1709 the Saline kirk session led by the Rev. Patrick Plenderleith, met to consider a report that Janet Mitchell was guilty of fornication and had been found to have milk in her breast, a sign that she was with child or had given birth. When questioned, Janet confessed to fornication with James Gibson, a fellow servant at Sunnyside, but would not say whether she had had a child or not and it was decided that members of…
David West, Road Haulier
David West & Son, Road Haulier of Rumblingwell and Touch. By George Beattie In 1920, David West, a former bus driver with the Autocar Bus Company (ABC), Dunfermline, founded his own road haulage business at James Street, Dunfermline before moving to Foundry Street, Low Beveridgewell and, latterly, to Rumblingwell. The early history of the firm is somewhat vague but it is known that in 1924, Mr West operated ex-army Karrier vehicles with bodies which could quickly be converted from lorries to buses.   With the bus side of the business, Mr West operated a route from Dunfermline to Burntisland, via Aberdour from May, 1924, and then another from Dunfermline to Limekilns from August, 1925. In 1926 the bus side of the business was allowed to lapse in favour of the haulage operation which in the main involved the carriage of produce, mainly grain and potatoes, for local farmers. The haulage business flourished and in the early to mid-1930s West moved to larger premises at 179 Rumblingwell, Dunfermline.   By that time West’s fleet had increased to some ten vehicles, mainly Albions, AEC and Maudsleys, and David West’s son, Jim, had joined the firm. Jimmy Hynd, interviewed in 1999, spent most of his working life with David West and recalled starting work at Rumblingwell as a 15 year old driver’s mate in 1937.   The driver’s mate, or second man as he was more commonly known, was compulsory at that time and part of his duty, as well as assisting in the loading and unloading the…
`My Favourite Boy` – The Dunfermline Link with the Bartholomew Map Family
I’m sure many of us will have used Bartholomew’s maps over the years and may well still do. John Bartholomew and Sons was a very well known cartography company, founded in 1826 in Edinburgh, but it’s origins lie further back. In “`My Favourite Boy` – The Dunfermline Link with the Bartholomew Map Family”, Jean Barclay tells the story of George Bartholomew, a boy who had a difficult and unusual start in life, his parents fought a long court case, but became a skilled engraver of maps and plans. His son John, also trained as an engraver, went on to found the business.
Their story tells us much about both class distinctions and social mobility in late 18th and early 19th century Scotland.