(Photo's are links to full size picture).
ABSTRACT OF MY OWN LIFE AND TIMES Continued
Commenced writing on the 25th of March 1885
By George Taylor
Page 5
My grandmother was a frequent visitor at our house. She had a house and home of her own at Morebattle, but went frequently round among her family relations. Her family consisted of three: her oldest son, Alexander Stevenson was married to Agnes Nibbit and had a family of one daughter and four sibs and was shepherd at Cassford. Her next daughter, Agnes was married to John Mable, who was also a shepherd. They had three sons and two daughters, and after moving from place to place came out to America in 1818. My mother, Violet, was the youngest, and had a family of eight—five sons and three daughters.
It was remarked that I was a great favorite with my grandmother, and I had often to go home with her to Morebattle, and when there, I had to go round with her in a visit to a great many of her acquaintances. There were a great many weavers in that town. Four of these by the name of Craig were all friends but had all separate families. In visiting these, I was very much interested to see them working on their looms. It was something entirely new to me, and showed how our shirts and other clothing were made. And here I may mention what an immense amount of labor we then had with this article flax. We had first to go to market, buy seed, and bring it home. Then there was a day when it had to be sown. As it came up and grew, a weakening process had to be gone through. When it was ripe, it had to be pulled up and tied in beets or bunches. Then it had to be steeped in water for ten days: then spread thinly out and lie on the ground about a month. Then tied up and taken under cover. Then there was a breaking and pounding process. The next was the manual process of what they called swingling. All the wives helping each other in due order. This being done, it was all ready for the final and last process—the heckler or flax dresser, who put it in bundles ready for the spinning wheel. After the spinning, then the reeling into hanks and slips, when finally it was ready to be taken to the weaver. Then when he in his loom has wrought it into a web of shirting, he brings it home rolled up on his back. Next, he measures it out with his yardstick, and the bill of payment is made out at so much per yard. Still it is not ready to be cut for a shirt. It has to undergo a process of bleaching: and the place for this is near a supple of water, where it is spread out. And there it is alternately wetted and dried for two or three weeks. When finally it is pronounced finished, rolled up, put away in the clothes press, and frequently shown to visitors as a fine piece of Sarking. I have given this extensive process in the order as I have seen or done a part of it myself.
When at Morebattle with my grandmother, I had always to go with her to the meetinghouse on the Sabbath day. Possible at the time I was more interested with some of the external surroundings than the preaching of old David Morrison. All the meetinghouses at that time were built and constructed in a very plain style. I suppose their object was to steer as far as possible from that of the Catholic or Episcopal. As their forefathers had suffered a good deal of persecution from both of those parties. This old meeting house was of an oblong form, and no doubt was considered as stylish for its day as it had a slated roof. The walls were of equal height all round, and the roof at the ends were stopped to the wall. There was a gallery in front and at both ends, the pulpit and windows occupying one side. These pulpits were also a little peculiar. They were of a BOX?? and formed a seat behind for two and a little sloping desk before the Bible and Psalm book. They stood high, having a stair leading up to them. Down below this in front was the Presenter’s seat and desk that lead the singing. This was then quite an arduous matter, as he had to read out every line in a sort of musical tone before it was sung. There were no hymns sung then: it was all the Psalms of David. My grandmother’s seat in this house was on one of the side galleries. The way of entering was from the outside by a sloping ascent to a door at the top of the wall, from which there was way of access to all of the seats. There was a similar construction at the end of the house for an entrance to the galleries on that side.
In that pastoral district a great many of those attending were shepherds, many of them had their dogs with them, and the most of these dogs seemed to know that they were in a sacred place and behaved well, though more than once I have seen a little bit of a dog fight. One thing that interested me was when the people rose at the pronouncing of the blessing. The dogs seemed to know where they were at, and at once made a rush for the door and down the grade before the service was finished. I have since read a Scotch anecdote, which verifies my observation. In a rural district, a stranger minister had been preaching one Sabbath. When he arose to pronounce the blessing he seemed surprised when the people sat still. Then an old shepherd seemed to comprehend the situation and rose up and thus addressed the minister: “Oh sir, just say away: we sit still to cheat the dogs.”
There was another peculiar feature with certain parties attending these meetings. Many of the farmers and those whom had horses used to ride to church, and on taking their wives and other lady friends, they were in the way of riding double. This was done by girding on a separate seat or pad, as they called it, behind the saddle. This was then form in which many of the farmers rode with their wives to church and market. Burns, the poet, alludes to this when speaking of different parties on their way to Church: “Farmers rash in riding graith gaed haddin by their cotties.” Such now are all things of the past.
These church meetings were at that time a kind of social in their way in the summertime, when the days were long. There was always an interval of an hour between forenoon and afternoon services. There was a fine piece of smooth lawn grass on the south side of the church, where might be seen at that time, scores of little parties sitting or lying on the grass, eating a piece of bread and cheese, or some other refreshment they had brought with them. Here neighbors and acquaintances met, where residences might be ten or more miles apart, and thus afforded them a good opportunity for both social and religious intercourse. My grandmother had always a large party of friends at her house at the time of these intervals, and I recollect how she was in the way of preparing for this. She had a large metal pot that she called the Kalie Pot. This was half or more filled with water. Cabbages and other vegetables had been all cut and prepared on Saturday evening (for she was very strict, as to the letter, in keeping the Sabbath). These with a certain amount of fleshmeat, pot barley, and salt, were the principle ingredients that filled the pot. It was set a boiling early and well on by 11 o’clock, the hour for church. A decent fire was put below and thus left to itself for an hour and a half. When the church came out, everything in the pot was in a toothsome order. The plates and horn spoons, the knives and forks were all set in order—and then was a meal of real friendly and social intercourse.
Page 6
I think it was about the end of the year 1810 that I first entered on my school experience. The nearest place at that time was at the village of Lempitlaw in the parish of Sprouston. I had learned the letters of the alphabet early and had primary lessons from my father and mother, so that I could now read pretty fair lesson in the New Testament. I recollect my father went with me and introduced me to the schoolmaster. He was a young man, I should thing about 18 years of age. His name was Thomas Scot. This was not a parish school, but was got up for the convenience of the village and the surrounding country. This school at that time was held in one of the old-fashioned dwelling houses. It was thatched with upright beams that supported the roof and came down to the walls to the foundation, at the top of the wall. There was a joint with another beam of timber, which slanted up to the top, thus meeting its neighbor on the opposite side and forming the skeleton of the roof. The intervening spaces, being filled up with large, strong branches to support the thatch. The entrance was primitive, being by what they called an outside and an inside door. On entering, there was to the right a clear space of about a rod; the whole breadth of the house close to the left was a partition running through, and at the end was the door of entrance into the main body of the school. Here, three or four desks set across with some intervening seats between; and there was one seat from the entering of the door, running the whole length along the wall and across to the south side, where were two or three windows. The entrance porch was very useful for the boys playing tops and marbles. I commenced first with a class reading the New Testament, and then with the Hardies Collection and spelling book. The tasks which we had to commit to memory were the shorter catechism and the Psalms of David. But occasionally there were some extras. I recollect that one of my teachers subsequently offered a prize of a new Psalm book to any of the school who would learn and repeat from memory most correctly the 119th Psalm. I was pronounced the successful candidate and was consequently awarded the book. At another time, by another teacher, the prize of a New Testament was offered for any of the school who would learn and repeat most correctly the three chapters of St. Matthew, which relates the Sermon on the Mount. In this case, I was also successful.
There were several of my first tasks, as they then appeared, were quite formable. My first commencement of writing was one of these, and more especially when I saw before me a fine copper plate as a pattern to write from. And something of the same feeling came over me on my first commencement with arithmetic, when a Table of Enumeration and Multiplication first came before me. It is here that the success of a teacher comes in, presenting a proper method from lower to a higher in all their many and various relations.
One great exciting scene in that period of my life was the attending of certain fairs and markets, as they came around in their season. One of these was the Town Yethholm Lamb Fair on the 5th of July. It was my father’s business to take a certain number of lambs to the fair, and this was done by parting very early in the morning. I had always to go with him to help drive and keep them separate among the many others in the market. A great many strangers and to me strange new things were always to be seen: and greater, was the St. James-held on the 5th of August near Kelso. The principle business in the early part of the day was hiring market for Shearers through the course of the Harvest at so much per week with victuals: but it was more a great gathering of Country people, young and old for pleasure and sociality. The Gypsy Class was therewith their various wares. Peddlers and Hucksters of all sorts were arranged in long side rows, where a constant stream of people kept walking up and down between them. Here you would have seen a great crowd of listening to a Ballad Singer, and many of these songs at that time were Patriotic. I recollect on old fellow who sang with great energy and the refrain or overwords of the Song was: “And Wellington wiel go wiel gowith Wellington, wiel go we will across the Main Ocean and face our daring foe.”
There were always a number of shows and other various amusements. But what gave the Fair its chief aspect was the great number of Tents covering the whole ground: their ostensible purpose being to supple eating and refreshments. It was from the last mentioned that those parties derived their profits in the sale of Ale and intoxicating drinks. And as the afternoon and evening drew on, its effects were being manifested by many of the crowd. Fighting was quite common circumstances, and some were inducted to enlist with a recruiting party as soldiers, and their next day on reflection with friends, they were induced to go back and get out of this engagement by paying what they called a Smart of one or two guienas.
These Fairs afforded also a fine opportunity for young men and women meeting together, and having a Swagger, as they called it—joining arm in arm and walking in this way up and down among the crowd. Then as it began to draw toward evening, each young man must take his sweetheart to her home, even though it should be six miles in the opposite direction of his own. In this way certain alliances were often entered upon which in the end had an unpleasant termination. The market or Hiring days for the services of single men and women for the half years were often attended in much the same way and presented many of the same scenes that I have already described.
From the time that I was born and 12 years subsequently, Napoleon Bonaparte kept all Europe in a state of war and excitement, even in Great Britian at one time was threatened with invasion. I have heard though I do not remember, about they called The Lightening of Becons. This was long before the Telegraph was thought of, and was an expedient for the giving of an immediate alarm to the whole country. The plan was to have great lights on all prominent hills twelve miles apart, so that should an invasion take place, an alarm by these lights could be given all over the country in a few minutes. In this order of things there had been a trained Militia of Volunteers to be ready at any emergency. I have heard some amusing stories related of the various effects produced by this alarm on families and individuals, when called at once to march to headquarters and meet the foe. The wailing of wives for their husbands, and mothers for their sons was quite pathetic, but in a few hours afterwards, when it was found to be a hoax, many of the former scenes so very touching, appeared now a little amusing and somewhat ludicrous. There were a few newspapers in that age, and such as there were greatly taken up with the wars and conquest of Napoleon Bonaparte. My father always contrived in some way to get hold of a newspaper. I frequently brought it, as I came home from school. This he used to read with some of the neighbors in the evening, and I have sometimes listened with their various comments about the War. I can recollect particularly the thrilling sensation all parties felt when reading an account of the disastrous retreats of Napoleon and his French army from Moscow. This was thought at the time to finish his career, but he was still able to rally for another great campgain.
In 1813 my father made a change of his situation from Hoslaw Bank, where he had been for five years to the Farm of Wholfield, and so we moved to that place on May 26th. Along with his situation as Shepherd he had also to keep a boy to heard cows and cattle on the farm through the course of the summer half year. This then was my work till the Martinmas term, 22th November. This farm was close adjacent to the English Border and I had frequent occasion to be across the line.
In my daily occupation I had a great deal of spare time, and as there ran through the Farm two fine burns or creek, where there were some fine trout, I often caught a number of these in various ways. I often spent some time in reading when I could get hold of any interesting books, but at this time there were but few books that were got up especially for the use of young people. On the Sabbath days my mother always saw that I had the Bible with me, or some other good religious book. Some of these I read with pleasure and profit. Heavy Meditations was one and also by the same author The Dialogues of Theron and Aspasia. I think I knew the Scheme of Salvation through the meditation of the Lord Jesus Christ before this, but the reading of these Dialogues threw so much light on man as a sinner and Christ as a Saviour that the way seemed open and plain. I can well recollect the very spot of ground where I was reading one Sabbath forenoon and when thinking and praying over what I had read, I seemed to enter into such a happy confidence and assurance of Peace and Love of God that I had no fear of Death, but a certain calm elevation. Above the World it seemed to me at that time as a sort of First Fruits of the Joy and Peace of Believing.
I went to school in the Winter of 1814. There was a very heavy snow that season, and the frost was severe about the beginning of April. I made my first visit to Kelso along with my mother. This was what the country people called the first Linseed Friday, when they came to buy seed and have it ready for sowing. I went to help carry home the seed with other necessities for the house. A good part of the road was new to me. We crossed the Tweed in a boat at Sprouston, and this was the first time I had either seen or sailed in a boat. We then walked two miles up the side of the river to the Town and in the course of this walk, there were some fine houses with their surroundings on each side of the river. As we drew near to the Town we heard the ringing of bells and beating of drums with other Martial music. A great flag could be seen flying upon the top of the old Cathedral and smaller ones on many of the other buildings. The Town had just received the news which is still great in history and it was this: “The Allies had entered Paris”. Bonaparte was now a prisoner and caged in his own headquarters.
The Town of Kelso that day with its shops and their carious displays, other buildings, with all their surrounding made altogether such and impression of greatness and grandeur as I had never seen before.
At the Whitsunday term May 26th 1814, my father again made a change of situation. To the Farm of Graden in the Parish of Linton. I sometimes rendered him help with the sheep, but was for the most part of that summer employed on the Farm in Singling and hoeing turnips. These are all cultivated in drills. The most of this and a good deal of the other farm work is done by women. Each house holder had then to furnish a worker whose wages at that time were tenpence a day. I was what they called an extra half worker, and so my wages were in like proportion. In the time of Harvest I had to keep house and take care of the younger members of the family, while my mother had to sheer for the house rent. Gleaning in the field was allowed, and I was in the way of bringing out the family, and had often a good pile gathered in the evening.
In the winter half year I went to school at Linton, the distance being fully three miles. The name of the Schoolmaster was Samuel Wilson. He was an oldish man, a Bachelor, and his sister, an Old Maid was his housekeeper. He was a good teacher and the school was crowded; a great many coming from the neighboring parishes. I may say he was the last of my school teachers, and it was under his tuition that I made the most progress in reading, writing, and arithmetic-these being then the only branches taught in the Parish Schools.
My father was two years Shepherd in this place, and I passed the time much in the same way as I have described.
It was in this last year 1815 that Napoleon Bonaparte made his last great struggle for the supremacy in Europe, which culminated with the Battle of Waterloo on the 16th of June. For some time previous, my father and some of the neighbors had been watching and discussing, as to what would be the outcome of the great Military Movement then going on. He got a Kelso Weekly Paper (I think it was the mail) and it always came to hand on the Friday evening and was awaited with anxiety. One of our neighbors, an old woman who was a Cadger and kept a Cuddie and creek, went to Kelso every Friday in the way of business, and also as carrier of the mail to any in the neighborhood. It was a fine summer evening, about eight O’clock, when old Peggy Vine and her Cuddie arrived. The paper was at once handed out and opened by my father, and looking eagerly at it for a little, he called to James Ainsley, our next neighbor, who was sitting at the door: “A man, Jamie, there has been an awful battle”. Jamie at once got up and drew near, and then there was a reading of the great Battle in detail and that Bonaparte had fled and was taken prisoner. I felt a considerable interest in the relations of this battle, and especially the great loss of life, which gave me an awful horror of war and a great aversion again a Red Coat and a Soldier. The result of the Battle of Waterloo was anything but favorable to the common people, but on the contrary, it gave a new lease of power to Monarchy and Aristocracy. The iniquitous Corn Laws came out of it, subjecting the various working classes to a great deal of poverty and distress, and all the more so, as a heavy taxation was laid upon all the necessities and comforts of life.
Page 7
I think it was about the end of the year 1810 that I first entered on my school experience. The nearest place at that time was at the village of Lempitlaw in the parish of Sprouston. I had learned the letters of the alphabet early and had primary lessons from my father and mother, so that I could now read pretty fair lesson in the New Testament. I recollect my father went with me and introduced me to the schoolmaster. He was a young man, I should thing about 18 years of age. His name was Thomas Scot. This was not a parish school, but was got up for the convenience of the village and the surrounding country. This school at that time was held in one of the old-fashioned dwelling houses. It was thatched with upright beams that supported the roof and came down to the walls to the foundation, at the top of the wall. There was a joint with another beam of timber, which slanted up to the top, thus meeting its neighbor on the opposite side and forming the skeleton of the roof. The intervening spaces, being filled up with large, strong branches to support the thatch. The entrance was primitive, being by what they called an outside and an inside door. On entering, there was to the right a clear space of about a rod; the whole breadth of the house close to the left was a partition running through, and at the end was the door of entrance into the main body of the school. Here, three or four desks set across with some intervening seats between; and there was one seat from the entering of the door, running the whole length along the wall and across to the south side, where were two or three windows. The entrance porch was very useful for the boys playing tops and marbles. I commenced first with a class reading the New Testament, and then with the Hardies Collection and spelling book. The tasks which we had to commit to memory were the shorter catechism and the Psalms of David. But occasionally there were some extras. I recollect that one of my teachers subsequently offered a prize of a new Psalm book to any of the school who would learn and repeat from memory most correctly the 119th Psalm. I was pronounced the successful candidate and was consequently awarded the book. At another time, by another teacher, the prize of a New Testament was offered for any of the school who would learn and repeat most correctly the three chapters of St. Matthew, which relates the Sermon on the Mount. In this case, I was also successful.
There were several of my first tasks, as they then appeared, were quite formable. My first commencement of writing was one of these, and more especially when I saw before me a fine copper plate as a pattern to write from. And something of the same feeling came over me on my first commencement with arithmetic, when a Table of Enumeration and Multiplication first came before me. It is here that the success of a teacher comes in, presenting a proper method from lower to a higher in all their many and various relations.
One great exciting scene in that period of my life was the attending of certain fairs and markets, as they came around in their season. One of these was the Town Yethholm Lamb Fair on the 5th of July. It was my father’s business to take a certain number of lambs to the fair, and this was done by parting very early in the morning. I had always to go with him to help drive and keep them separate among the many others in the market. A great many strangers and to me strange new things were always to be seen: and greater, was the St. James-held on the 5th of August near Kelso. The principle business in the early part of the day was hiring market for Shearers through the course of the Harvest at so much per week with victuals: but it was more a great gathering of Country people, young and old for pleasure and sociality. The Gypsy Class was therewith their various wares. Peddlers and Hucksters of all sorts were arranged in long side rows, where a constant stream of people kept walking up and down between them. Here you would have seen a great crowd of listening to a Ballad Singer, and many of these songs at that time were Patriotic. I recollect on old fellow who sang with great energy and the refrain or overwords of the Song was: “And Wellington wiel go wiel gowith Wellington, wiel go we will across the Main Ocean and face our daring foe.”
There were always a number of shows and other various amusements. But what gave the Fair its chief aspect was the great number of Tents covering the whole ground: their ostensible purpose being to supple eating and refreshments. It was from the last mentioned that those parties derived their profits in the sale of Ale and intoxicating drinks. And as the afternoon and evening drew on, its effects were being manifested by many of the crowd. Fighting was quite common circumstances, and some were inducted to enlist with a recruiting party as soldiers, and their next day on reflection with friends, they were induced to go back and get out of this engagement by paying what they called a Smart of one or two guienas.
These Fairs afforded also a fine opportunity for young men and women meeting together, and having a Swagger, as they called it—joining arm in arm and walking in this way up and down among the crowd. Then as it began to draw toward evening, each young man must take his sweetheart to her home, even though it should be six miles in the opposite direction of his own. In this way certain alliances were often entered upon which in the end had an unpleasant termination. The market or Hiring days for the services of single men and women for the half years were often attended in much the same way and presented many of the same scenes that I have already described.
From the time that I was born and 12 years subsequently, Napoleon Bonaparte kept all Europe in a state of war and excitement, even in Great Britian at one time was threatened with invasion. I have heard though I do not remember, about they called The Lightening of Becons. This was long before the Telegraph was thought of, and was an expedient for the giving of an immediate alarm to the whole country. The plan was to have great lights on all prominent hills twelve miles apart, so that should an invasion take place, an alarm by these lights could be given all over the country in a few minutes. In this order of things there had been a trained Militia of Volunteers to be ready at any emergency. I have heard some amusing stories related of the various effects produced by this alarm on families and individuals, when called at once to march to headquarters and meet the foe. The wailing of wives for their husbands, and mothers for their sons was quite pathetic, but in a few hours afterwards, when it was found to be a hoax, many of the former scenes so very touching, appeared now a little amusing and somewhat ludicrous. There were a few newspapers in that age, and such as there were greatly taken up with the wars and conquest of Napoleon Bonaparte. My father always contrived in some way to get hold of a newspaper. I frequently brought it, as I came home from school. This he used to read with some of the neighbors in the evening, and I have sometimes listened with their various comments about the War. I can recollect particularly the thrilling sensation all parties felt when reading an account of the disastrous retreats of Napoleon and his French army from Moscow. This was thought at the time to finish his career, but he was still able to rally for another great campgain.
In 1813 my father made a change of his situation from Hoslaw Bank, where he had been for five years to the Farm of Wholfield, and so we moved to that place on May 26th. Along with his situation as Shepherd he had also to keep a boy to heard cows and cattle on the farm through the course of the summer half year. This then was my work till the Martinmas term, 22th November. This farm was close adjacent to the English Border and I had frequent occasion to be across the line.
In my daily occupation I had a great deal of spare time, and as there ran through the Farm two fine burns or creek, where there were some fine trout, I often caught a number of these in various ways. I often spent some time in reading when I could get hold of any interesting books, but at this time there were but few books that were got up especially for the use of young people. On the Sabbath days my mother always saw that I had the Bible with me, or some other good religious book. Some of these I read with pleasure and profit. Heavy Meditations was one and also by the same author The Dialogues of Theron and Aspasia. I think I knew the Scheme of Salvation through the meditation of the Lord Jesus Christ before this, but the reading of these Dialogues threw so much light on man as a sinner and Christ as a Saviour that the way seemed open and plain. I can well recollect the very spot of ground where I was reading one Sabbath forenoon and when thinking and praying over what I had read, I seemed to enter into such a happy confidence and assurance of Peace and Love of God that I had no fear of Death, but a certain calm elevation. Above the World it seemed to me at that time as a sort of First Fruits of the Joy and Peace of Believing.
I went to school in the Winter of 1814. There was a very heavy snow that season, and the frost was severe about the beginning of April. I made my first visit to Kelso along with my mother. This was what the country people called the first Linseed Friday, when they came to buy seed and have it ready for sowing. I went to help carry home the seed with other necessities for the house. A good part of the road was new to me. We crossed the Tweed in a boat at Sprouston, and this was the first time I had either seen or sailed in a boat. We then walked two miles up the side of the river to the Town and in the course of this walk, there were some fine houses with their surroundings on each side of the river. As we drew near to the Town we heard the ringing of bells and beating of drums with other Martial music. A great flag could be seen flying upon the top of the old Cathedral and smaller ones on many of the other buildings. The Town had just received the news which is still great in history and it was this: “The Allies had entered Paris”. Bonaparte was now a prisoner and caged in his own headquarters.
The Town of Kelso that day with its shops and their carious displays, other buildings, with all their surrounding made altogether such and impression of greatness and grandeur as I had never seen before.
At the Whitsunday term May 26th 1814, my father again made a change of situation. To the Farm of Graden in the Parish of Linton. I sometimes rendered him help with the sheep, but was for the most part of that summer employed on the Farm in Singling and hoeing turnips. These are all cultivated in drills. The most of this and a good deal of the other farm work is done by women. Each house holder had then to furnish a worker whose wages at that time were tenpence a day. I was what they called an extra half worker, and so my wages were in like proportion. In the time of Harvest I had to keep house and take care of the younger members of the family, while my mother had to sheer for the house rent. Gleaning in the field was allowed, and I was in the way of bringing out the family, and had often a good pile gathered in the evening.
In the winter half year I went to school at Linton, the distance being fully three miles. The name of the Schoolmaster was Samuel Wilson. He was an oldish man, a Bachelor, and his sister, an Old Maid was his housekeeper. He was a good teacher and the school was crowded; a great many coming from the neighboring parishes. I may say he was the last of my school teachers, and it was under his tuition that I made the most progress in reading, writing, and arithmetic-these being then the only branches taught in the Parish Schools.
My father was two years Shepherd in this place, and I passed the time much in the same way as I have described.
It was in this last year 1815 that Napoleon Bonaparte made his last great struggle for the supremacy in Europe, which culminated with the Battle of Waterloo on the 16th of June. For some time previous, my father and some of the neighbors had been watching and discussing, as to what would be the outcome of the great Military Movement then going on. He got a Kelso Weekly Paper (I think it was the mail) and it always came to hand on the Friday evening and was awaited with anxiety. One of our neighbors, an old woman who was a Cadger and kept a Cuddie and creek, went to Kelso every Friday in the way of business, and also as carrier of the mail to any in the neighborhood. It was a fine summer evening, about eight O’clock, when old Peggy Vine and her Cuddie arrived. The paper was at once handed out and opened by my father, and looking eagerly at it for a little, he called to James Ainsley, our next neighbor, who was sitting at the door: “A man, Jamie, there has been an awful battle”. Jamie at once got up and drew near, and then there was a reading of the great Battle in detail and that Bonaparte had fled and was taken prisoner. I felt a considerable interest in the relations of this battle, and especially the great loss of life, which gave me an awful horror of war and a great aversion again a Red Coat and a Soldier. The result of the Battle of Waterloo was anything but favorable to the common people, but on the contrary, it gave a new lease of power to Monarchy and Aristocracy. The iniquitous Corn Laws came out of it, subjecting the various working classes to a great deal of poverty and distress, and all the more so, as a heavy taxation was laid upon all the necessities and comforts of life.
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At the May Term of 1816, my father made another change to the Farm of Ladyrig in the Parish of Roxburg, about two miles from Kelso. This being a very large farm, he had to keep a boy or young lad all the year around. Of course his wages were higher on this account. Having two cows with several more sheep and a certain sum of money as compensation, I therefore filled that situation, and took an active part in all the various duties of a Shepherd, thus not only supporting myself, but doing something to help and bring up the younger members of the family in a more comfortable way. Having two cows with several more sheep and a certain sum of money as compensation, I therefore filled that situation, and took an active part in all the various duties of a Shepherd, thus not only supporting myself, but doing something to help and bring up the younger members of the family in a more comfortable way.
There are certain seasons of the year, when a shepherd has some special work to perform. One of these is the sheep washing and sheering. This brought us out of the ordinary routine of business into active relation with certain other parties on the farm. The washing was done in the river Teviot, which bounded the north part of the farm. To wash by hand, 30 or 40 score sheep required the help of all the servants on the place. A suitable place was chosen on the river bank and movable hurtles were so placed, as to enclose two or three score sheep. Then a sort of division of labor was entered into. There were first five or six men standing in a line in the water, not less than three feet deep. My father, who was at the head of this work to see to it that the work was done properly, stood farthest in. The first movement took place on the bank, where certain parties caught a sheep and handed it to the first man in the water. It was thrown on its back and swayed from side to side for a little, and then handed to his next neighbor, and so on through all the parties to the end, when it was turned around on its belly, with its head to the shore, where it soon swam out. As this standing in the water for three or four hours was considered as rather a cold business, it was invariably the custom for the farmer to supply all the parties in the work with plenty of Whiskey; care, however, had to be taken not to give too much, ‘til the work was done. And then it was quite a common thing to see both men and women, and I may say, also boys, going staggering home in such a way that they could scarcely walk. I was at one of these washings that I had the first sensation of what it was to be drunk. I had occasion to drive some of the sheep from the washing back to their pasture, and in doing this, once or twice I stumbled and fell. I looked to see if any person saw me, and really felt ashamed of myself. I then formed a resolution that for the future I would always drink in moderation and not become a fool before the world. I had at that time never heard of total abstinence, and like many others, considered Whiskey as one of the creatures of God.
The next event in my shepherd life was the sheep shearing. This was generally done by the neighboring shepherding, assisting each other, and also by engaging certain parties who made sheep shearing a special business as the season came around. I commenced shearing the second year we came to this farm, and some of the strong sheep I found at first a little hard to hold and manage. However, I felt encouraged by the countenance of the old farmer whose name was Andrew Robertson. He directed me how to hold the sheep and also how to apply the shears, and by thus taking a pride in this matter, I soon attained to that perfection that very few could compete with me, and thus verified the old adage: “That they who learn young learn fair.”
Another even in my shepherd life was the Lambing Season. And here I may mention that all the sheep on this farm were of the long wool, pure Lecoster breed. These, it is well known, are more tender and require more attention and shelter in the lambing season than certain others. It was the practice on this farm at that season to bring the ewes who were kept warm and sheltered, and where they could be waited on at all hours by the shepherd. Here, he could go out at any hour with his lantern and attend to any that might require his help and skill. We were allowed to have our headquarters in the farm kitchen, where we kept a fire and made ourselves comfortable as circumstances would permit. This season lasted a month or more, and I took my turn every alternate night with my father. Some of these nights we were kept very busy having it out and in every hour. In this way I could sleep for a few minutes and then go out on duty and come in again and sleep. I think this gave me a sort of habit in after life, for I can take a short nap either through the day or the night and wake up and feel refreshed. This I know is not generally the case.
On the high grounds of this farm near to the Beaumont Forest, were a good deal of young plantation and the cover for game. These were protected, as they are still, with very strict laws. I had received instruction from some of the neighboring shepherds as to the best methods of snaring hares in a wire gin. I had here a fine opportunity for carrying out this business. As when looking after the sheep I could also have my eye on the place where a hare had a regular run, and where a small wire noose properly adjusted would either hang the hare or hold it a prisoner ‘til I came to relieve it. The great thing in this business was to do it without being seen or suspected, for should any of the gamekeepers see me or the farmer or any of his sons, not only would I be liable to a heavy fine and imprisonment, but my father would have lost his situation at the first term.
I may mention that the proper season to catch and entrap this game was in the fall and winter half year, as only then it had a market value. Now while attending the sheep through the day, I generally had all the places looked out to set the snares in the evening, when “Twilight grey had in her sober livery all things clad.” It was indispensable that I should be up early to attend the sheep, but more especially to have my eye upon the snares. If any hares were caught they were at once concealed and all snares were removed and hid away. One necessary appendage to a shepherd was his plaid. These were made with nook or corner which formed a sort of a bag. In this, two or three hares at the left elbow could be covered with the other part of the plaid as nothing could be seen below. In this way I came home to breakfast, but with caution, lest any stranger should be in the house. I sometimes caught rabbits and partridges, but hares were the most valuable. These I readily sold for eighteen pence each or three shillings, and they were ultimately disposed of at the Edinburgh market. This was done through the village of the name of Richardson, who carried on this business in a systematic way. One of the sons, whose name was Tom, came regularly round with cart through our district every Saturday. He gathered eggs and had at the same time a supply of salt, soap, sugar, snuff, and tobacco. The father went into Edinburgh every week with his large cart with the products his sons had collected, and then bringing back with him the various things for their country customers.
The house in which we lived stood by itself nearly half a mile from the farm, being all the better for doing business in a secret way. As Tom Richardson came around, he left his cart at the roadside and came into the house with an empty basket and a large sacken bag over his arm. Then he asked my mother what eggs she had, and what other things she might be wanting. If no stranger was in the house, there was another question—had she anything for the bag today? This was understood if there were any hares, and it was seldom, but there were some—sometimes as many as three or four. This, with the eggs, supplied the family with groceries and other things and also a little extra change. I had thus no compunction of conscience in violating the game laws, which are only a relic of aristocratic ascendancy, and will no doubt be modified when the working classes are endowed with their rights of political power.
After the Battle of Waterloo, when the corn laws and other unjust edicts were taking effect, there was a time of great distress and dissatisfaction among the manufacturing and working classes. There were some great meetings in which there was rioting and radical expression, which was at once put down by calling out the military forces. Even the newspapers of that time had to use great caution, as there were certain laws existing which made it a heavy fine with imprisonment for the writing or printing, and even the possession of certain books of a political character. I can well recollect of getting a loan of Paine’s “Rights of Man”, and I got great caution not to show it, but to read it on the sly.
It was about this time in 1818 that the Edinburgh Weekly Scotsman first came out. It was a Liberal Whig and showed the old tricks of Toriem, and especially that a British subject had certain rights and that taxation and representation should go together. When my father first heard of this paper, he had great desire to become a reader. But then the price was far beyond his reach. At that time there was a heavy tax on paper, with stamps on all newspapers, and what with one thing and another, the price of the paper was nine pence. It really seemed that the ruling powers at that time were determined to keep the great mass of people poor and ignorant. But where there is a will, there is a way, and my father devised a plan to get the paper both for himself and others. At the farm, there were eight plowsmen and a steward, who lived in a range of cottage houses. Altogether he found that if each of these would pay a penny a week, he would write and procure the paper. This they consented to do, and so it came by post to the village of Weaton, where some of our family attending school brought it home in the evening. The plan for reading it the first night was for all the parties to meet at one of their houses, have all the principle news read and discussed and then every one to have it a night for themselves afterwards. As I mentioned before, our house was about one half mile from the others, and I well recollect what a great pleasure it was for me to go down with my father and have the paper read. I was generally the reader under my father’s supervision. Some of these plowmen were not much skilled in either politics or literature, and the old man, having seen and known something of the world, was in the way of making certain explanation, which made the reading much more interesting and profitable. We had good reason to believe that our time and money was well spent and that what we were doing was an example to others. There was one little incident that came out of this which I shall relate. There was an old acquaintance of my father, a Thomas Laidlaw, who had a sort of intellectual twist of mind, but being what was called a “spademan” or “day laborer” and having a large family was in poor circumstances, but being a reader and a keen political observer, he thought he would try the same plan as my father had done to procure the reading of the Scottsman. The farm on which he lived was that of Viersknow, in the parish of Eckford, and was tended by a great farmer by the name of Walker. He talked about the paper, submitted his plan and got it in the same way as my father. But a circumstance here transpired which shows ho the working classes were subjected to the will of their employers at the time. The great Walker, the farmer, had heard that his servants were reading such a paper, and so when the first of March came around, at the time when the yearly engagements were made, the Steward got instructions to say that all who had been reading the Scottsman Newspaper must either give it up or otherwise they could not be engaged for another year. That, of course, ended the matter and the paper was given up.
These were hard times for the working classes. There was a superabundance of laborers at that time, much more than could find employment, and of course, wages were very low. The highest wage for a Spadman or day laborer was 18 pence per day. Women wages for outdoor farmwork: 10pence or a penny and hour. This state of things continued until new fields or emigration was opened up and greater facilities for travel both by land and sea.
My father had a great wish to go out to America again, but could not for the time, as he had lent all his money (about 80 pounds) to certain parties who could not pay up at that time, but promised to pay. So, he continued as a shepherd on the farm of Ladyrig with my assistance, for the space of five years. I can well recollect about that time that a great many people who had a thought of going out to America, used to call and consult with my father about their passage and how best to get up through the country after landing. He was thus enabled to give good information, not only from having been there himself, but from books of geography with maps, which he used to trace from New York up the Hudson to Albany and then up the Hudson or Mohawk Valley, and up the Gennesse, the great wheat region in York State, and soon to the Great Lakes. Some parties were going south to the state of Ohio, the way which was also pointed out on the map. At that time, there was another thing which was greatly talked about as the greatest improvement ever made in the country---the Great Erie Canal. Its whole course was traced out to its connection with Lake Erie and then its farther connection with the great state of Ohio and then with the river of that name, and then with the great Mississippi to the sea. Altogether, a future prospect great and grand, such were some of the flattering prospects held out before the emigrants at that time. But what a change has come over, not only in the United States, but all over the world since that day. The power of steam, both by land and sea, with accompanying electric service and the telegraph, has revolutionized the world. The ends of the earth have been brought together and we see knowledge is being multiplied abundantly.
My father left the farm of Ladyrig in 1821 and engaged as shepherd at the Wooden, a farm in the parish of Eckford. I was now free to work at my own hand, as is the common Scotch phrase, with those who have no direct engagement. For three-forths of a year, I found in spadwork and harvest on this and one of the adjoining farms. My wages were 18 pence per day, except the harvest month, which was 12 shillings per week with victuals.
In the course of the summer, I got acquainted with a man by the name of Robert Renwick, who had a market garden of his own and at the same time wrought some of the farmer’s gardens in the neighborhood. He was a man of intelligence, had read a good deal, and had seen and known something of the world. He had more garden work than he could rightly accomplish, so I made an engagement to work with him in the spring of 1822. In this way we wrought together for the space of eight years in the most pleasant and agreeable manner. Our wages were 18 pence per day with victuals and board. As we had often a week or more of that work in the season for which we had extra pay, and I generally took a month of harvest work which was then all done with the sickle, having the usual fare of oatmeal porridge and milk, morning and evening, with a loaf of wheat bread and a quart of beer for dinner. It was often hard work for both young and old, but a very independent life for those who could do their darg.
There was another thing, which I learned from Robert Renwick, and that was cutting and trimming hedges. Many of the gardens, being partly enclosed by a wall for growing fine fruit and the remainder by a beech hedge, which was trimmed once or twice a year. This work is all done with the hedge knife. There is a certain art and skill in handling it, so as to make it cut easily. I recollect that Renwick put me through the whole order of the work. First by keeping a loose elbow joint, while the knife is held firmly, then striking at a certain angle, as to make a clean cut. There are knives of all dimensions. Some are light and a little hook shaped for cutting the one-year sprays, and some are strong and heavy for cutting down an old hedge with stems as thick as your arm. We had often a job of this kind in winter, when we could not dig and do garden work, by contracting with the farmers to do this work or to dress the hedges for miles along each side of the public roads. In this gardening and hedgework, both Renwick and myself found a sort of independence, as we could have a day or a week or more at any time for our own pleasure.
I think it was in the end of 1822 and the beginning of 1823 that I first visited the city of Edinburgh. That city had been honored with a visit from his Royal Highness, George IV. This last year the new buildings, especially in the “New Town” were at that time going on with a great boom. It so happened that Mrs. Renwick had a sister married in Edinburgh, who was sometimes in the way of visiting her friends in the country in summer while they in turn, made a reciprocal visit in winter. Robert Renwick proposed that if I would make a visit to Edinburgh with him, it would cost me no more than traveling expenses. This I concluded to do, and so we started from Kelso, with the stagecoach at 8 o’clock in the morning. I had never been out of the country of Roxburgh before and therefore I started with high prospects. The fare, I think, was altogether ten shillings, eight-coach fare, and the other for the guard and driver. This was outside fare on the top of the coach, which to me was greatly preferable, as from this I could much better see the various laces and the country as we passed along. We went by the way of Smailholm and changed horses at Eastston. Then up the leader water to Lauder and on to Carfae Mill, where there was an Inn and another change of horses. This stage was considered about half way to the city, from this two miles up the glen and then we were at the foot of Soutre Hill. Then the winding up and round about this hill took some little time. But after getting up and along the ridge for a mil, we came to an Inn with stabling called Louries Den, and I well recollect of seeing a large board placed against the side of the house with the motto of invitation, “Come taste of the Porter, you’ll find the road a great deal shorter.” We now descended the hill and passed several other places of note, till we came to the old town of Dalkeith, and then along the throng-road of 7 miles to Edinburgh. When we came into the city things seemed to look awful big to me. The oil lamps were just being lighted (gas having not yet been introduced). This with the coal smoke hanging over gave me the first introduction to Auld Reckie. The coach stopped at High Street on the east corner of North Bridge. There were a great many men, they called porters with ropes and straps round their shoulders to carry any trunk or other baggage, which passengers might have, to their destination. Mr. Renwick engaged one to carry his trunk to No. 2 Northumberland, in the New Town. We walked after him, and this was my first view of what then was to me the Great City. After seeing the friends and having refreshments for an hour or two, one of the party, a young man, proposed to take out and show me some of the principle parts of the city by lamp light. It was all strange to me, but I recollect we crossed Princess Street, passed up what was called the Mound, which was then only a narrow Strip of what it is now. And I recollect, up near the top, a little below where the Free Church Assembly Hall now stands, there were some Shows, and my friend and guide gave me a treat to go in and see the performances of one of them. After some Sleigh- hand tricks were gone through, and some other thing---a Learned Pig was introduced which could spell out certain words that were required by selecting from an Alphabet of Cards, which were lying promiscuous, those in their order that made the perfect word.
We then went up and down High Street, where among many others, were a great many Soldiers going up and down from the Castle. And here I met with a little surprise which was a Soldier walking with two young Ladies, with whom I got acquainted the last year in the Harvest Field: this was at the Farm of Court Hill, about three miles from Kelso. The Soldier urged me to take one of the girls, but I knew that they bore the character of what is called Free and Easy, and so I suppose they were carrying out their Soree in the big City. In going down High Street, my guide showed me some of the big things and also some of the little bad things. These last were a certain Class of young women standing about the head of Winds on each side of the Street, and if you looked at them, would at once put the question, “Ar e guan te take is wie the night?” I have often met them in other parts of the City looking for their game. Our visit lasted for about ten days, so that in that time I had a good opportunity of seeing the many great sights of the City and its surroundings.
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