In 1857 photography had only just begun – so the photograph of Andrew Leyden and his Right and Left Hand men records an extraordinary event. Taking a photograph was a rigmarole involving glass plates and wet chemicals and portable tents and large cameras. Photographic Societies were just being started to promote the art and science … Continue reading
Andrew Burns the 1869 Cornet was a wool sorter – “ Wool sorters were the craftsmen who processed the fleece before yarn could be spun. Different breeds of sheep produce vastly different types of wool. The variations include fineness and length of the staple, softness of handle, crimp, colour and lustre, and different types of … Continue reading
William Inglis was the son of another father and son Cornet pairing: William senior in 1827, and William junior in 1868, so there was quite a time between them – 41 years. William senior, merchant, didn’t get married until late – in 1841 he was a 40 year old grocer at 64 High Street, unmarried … Continue reading
There are two events which mark the beginning of modern Hawick – the introduction of knitting frames by Baillie Hardie in 1771, and the opening of the railway in 1849. [even though the railway only ran north to G***shiels and Edinburgh until the following year – “The Hawick branch of the North British Railway was … Continue reading
Robert Laidlaw’s cousin William Laidlaw had been the Cornet in 1838.They would have known each other – their granny lived at 17 Loan with Robert’s family as a widow when William was Cornet, so he would have visited. There were several Laidlaw families in Hawick at the time – hosiery manufacturers in Teviot Crescent, grocers … Continue reading
John S Elliot, aged 21, lived at 2 Loan, north side, east end, with his elder brother William Elliot , aged 36. He was a Joiners Apprentice, possibly to William, a joiner. William’s wife Helen, 29 from Hobkirk, had given birth to another son Robert aged 2 months at the time of the census. Also … Continue reading
