Article XIII written by Alexander Gunn aka A Native of
Badbea was printed in the Northern Ensign on 4 March 1880 – Part D
Successful Berrriedale Boys
"Berriedale has among her sons those who, by dint of
steady perseverance, rose to positions of honour and respect; and having
referred to natives of Badbea and Auchencraig who attained to an honourable
position in society, it would be ungenerous and unfair to pass by the
Berriedale boys."
- John Grant
"The first that I have any recollection of was John Grant, son
of William Grant, Rinsary. By dint of perseverance and hard work he qualified
himself for the office of schoolmaster. He taught for a short time in the
district school at Auchencraig where I received my first lesson. But John
struggled on, attended college, and was licensed as a minister of the gospel -
one of the highest and most honourable positions that any man can covet. It
took no small amount of courage and perseverance for a young lad, without
friends or means to work himself up to such a position, especially in those
days."
- James Sutherland
"James Sutherland, a Berriedale lad, occupies a high and
responsible and honourable position in a banking house in the metropolis of the
nation."
- James Anderson
"James Anderson, a widow's son, also a Berriedale lad,
left his native country to push his fortune in a distant colony. He emigrated
to New Zealand, and by steady, patient perseverance became the owner and master
of a fine barque, with which he traded in the Southern Seas for many years."
- George Polson
"Another Berriedale man, we may say, was George Polson. He
was born in Auchencraig, which he left when a child, and was reared in
Berriedale. He also emigrated to New Zealand, and was successful in his adopted
country. He became the possessor of 100 acres of land in the neighbourhood of
Dunedin, where he lived comfortably and happily for many years."
- James Rutherford
"Another Berriedale man James Rutherford, is carrying on a
flourishing business of his own in Dundee."
- And others...
"There may be others equally successful as those I have
referred to whose positions I am not conversant with, owing to my long absence
from the locality, and if any such are omitted the reason will be understood
from the explanation I have given."
"I believe that natives of Berriedale and neighbourhood
have gained to themselves positions in society, according to their
circumstances, as honourable as are to be found anywhere; and if we trace their
descendants, we find them following the example of their fathers."
- John Grant "Trollie"
In a later article, Alexander Gunn recalls John Grant’s
days as a school teacher at Auchencraig. He is pleasingly frank:
‘”…and after him came John Grant from Rinsary, Berriedale,
who possessed some measure of qualification for his office. He was but young and inexperienced, and was
considered to have a “sclate loose” on the upper story, and was known by the
sobriquet of “Trollie” meaning silly; but he had a fair smattering of
education, and was not so cruel and unmerciful as his predecessor. He also had
some ambition, and prosecuted his education, and came out for the ministry.
- Everywhere
Despite such challenges as the ‘Disruption’ in the church
and the Clearances undermining the parish schools, families worked very hard to
ensure their children were educated. The result was a generation of people who
were well educated, hard working, determined and 'everywhere'.
No comments:
Post a Comment