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David Hepburn Paton
15/8/1864 - 12/3/1916
David was Calum's and Jamie's great great
grandfather.
David was born during the reign of Britain's Queen Victoria at 4.45pm on August 15th 1864,
in New Street, Blackford, Perthshire (GROS:1864/333/47), a year or so after the arrival there of his mother Janet,
father William and two elder brothers, James and William, all of whom had
relocated to the village from the Calton district of Glasgow so that William senior could take up work as a currier,
a preparer of leather.
In April 1866, as an innocent two year old,
and the youngest in the household, David was undoubtedly completely unaware of the immense trauma that his family
were going through in the wake of the brutal murder of his maternal grandmother Jessie Rogers (nee Henderson) at Mount Stewart Farm in the nearby village of Forgandenny, Perthshire. The murder, known both as the
Mount Stewart Farm Murder and the Bridge of Earn Murder, shocked Scottish society at the
time for its sheer brutality, and dominated the country's newspaper headlines for over a year, until the trial of the main
suspect, farm labourer Peter Crichton, in 1867. The fact that the case against Crichton was eventually found to be non-proven,
must have sickened the family to the core.
In approximately 1868 or 1869, David would have attended school. There were two primary schools in
Blackford at that point, Blackford Public School and Blackford Free Presbyterian Industrial School. The records for the public
school, including the school register, still survive in the A. K. Bell. There is no mention of David or any of his siblings
attending this school, and it must therefore be deduced that he attended the Free Church school.
By the time of the 1871 census, David was still attending school in Blackford,
whilst his father continued to work in the village as a currier. By this stage, David had been joined by three sisters, Jessie
(named after his deceased grandmother), Margaret and Catherine.
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| New Street, Blackford - August 2004 |
In November 1876, David's visually disabled
aunt, Annie Rogers, relocated to Blackford from Airntully in the parish of Kinclaven, Perthshire, after the death of her father, David's
grandfather, James Rogers. David's sister Margaret moved in with Annie at some point shortly after, most likely to be able
to help her incapacitated aunt around the house, and Margaret is therefore recorded here in the 1881 census as a 12 year
old scholar, rather than at the family home(GROS:1881/333/2/14). But David undoubtedly would also have paid regular
visits to Annie's cottage, to make sure that all her needs were being attended to, and he would most likely have run
on various errands for her.
In approximately 1879, David finished school, and in 1881,
he was now listed in the Blackford census as being an apprentice leather cutter, obviously following his father into the
leather trade, a major industry in Blackford at the time. And at some point between 1881 and 1886, David took up work
with Glasgow based company R. & J. Dick, perhaps arranged through contacts of his father, and it may even have been with
them that he had taken up an apprenticeship.
R. & J. Dick
was based in Greenhead, Clydeside, Glasgow, and was founded by the two brothers Robert and James Dick. The two
brothers had come to prominence after they had discovered a new gum in Borneo called guttapercha, from which they were able to make synthetic shoes and mechanical rubber belts. Initially
the brothers had a major disaster when their shoes made entirely from the gum were found to melt in extreme temperatures!
But when they decided to make leather uppers for their shoes and to reduce their costs in the shops, a hesitant public
suddenly flocked to buy them. The company soon became an international success and prided itself on its slogan "All our goods 5s a pair". Guttapercha shoes had
in fact been imported to Brussels from at least as early as 1853, as an advert in the Brussels Commercial Almanach for that
year records the wonders of the new "Semelles de Gutta-Percha, nouvellement importees en Belgique". Evidently they had taken
off so well in Brussels that the Dick brothers decided to open their own shoe shops in the Belgian
capital.
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| An 1892 advertisement for the two R. & J. Dicks shops managed by David Hepburn Paton |
On September 15th 1886, at
the age of 22, David made his way to Brussels in Belgium, where he
took up residence in the city at 37 Rue D' Or. He had obviously impressed
the two brothers enough in Glasgow to be given
the opportunity to manage their shoe shops in Brussels,
which were located at 106 Rue de Flandre and 76 Marche Aux Herbes, both of which were fairly close to each other. The shop
on Rue de Flandre was called "Chaussures Anglaises"
i.e. "English Shoes". One can
only imagine how David fared in a country with two first languages, French and Flemish, both of which at that time were
fairly uncommon in rural Perthshire, or Glasgow for that matter!!
On November 29th 1887, David was recorded as living on Marche Aux Herbes (the Grass Market) in the
city, and in the following year, 1888, he had moved to Rue Chair et Pain (Flesh and Bread Street), which directly faced the
shop on Marche Aux Herbes.
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| 1890 advert for the two Brussels R & J Dicks shoe shops |
It is not
yet known how they met, but on August 15th 1889, David married Jessie MacFarlane, aged 22, daughter of Inverness based tailor
John Brownlee McFarlane and Anne MacGillivray. David would have frequently returned to Glasgow from Belgium, to the headquarters of R. & J. Dick,
and it was almost certainly in the city that he met Jessie. At the time of the wedding, David was listed as a
'manager in the boot trade', and was again living at Marche Aux Herbes, in
Brussels, most likely at the shop in which he worked. The wedding
was carried out according to the forms of the Free Church of Scotland, and the witnesses were Alexander Fraser and Annie MacFarlane.
The minister was John J. Black who lived at The Manse (GROS:1889/098/104).
After the wedding, it seems that David at first returned to Brussels on his
own, as in the 1890 census, on February 30th, he was recorded as living alone at Rue du Laeken, although he did
have a domestic servant working for him called Catherine Lories, born in Lembeecq,
Belgium in the 1830s.
In
1890 the two shops at Rue de Flandres and Marche Aux Herbes were still going strong, with a pair of 'bottines elastiques,
pour Hommes' going for 9fr 50, a pair of 'souliers, pour Dames' for 7fr 50. The two shops were still going in 1892, as evident
from a local advert in publication at the time.
In 1892, David was listed as living in Saint Gillies, which at the time was outside the limits in Brussels, although it is today a part of the city.
But by 1894, we know Jessie had joined her husband in Brussels, as on April 26th
she gave birth in the city to the couple's first child, their daughter Annie McGillivray
Paton. Annie's birth entry records that David and Jessie were living at 76 Marche Aux Herbes.
When Annie's birth was registered on the 28th, we learn of two witnesses who were friends of the couple and possibly
involved in David's business. The first was 37 year old Auguste Moreau, negociant,
meaning a sales representative or negotiator, whilst the second was David's 23 year old magasinier (the person who took care
of the shops stocks and supplies) Charles Depoorter, from Schaerbeek.
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| R.&J. Dicks on Rue de Flandres, early 1900s. The figure in the shop doorway is believed to be David. |
David's
father William Hay Paton tragically died back home in Glasgow, Scotland, on January 20th 1894, almost certainly a devastating time
for David and his family. It is not known whether he returned to Scotland to be with his mother, but if so, the chances
are he would have stayed at his parents' tenement home of 40 Springfield Road.
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| 76 Marche Aux Herbes - once David's shop, & birthplace of William & Annie - now Raphael's Restaurant |
Back in Brussels, on October 11th 1896, at 11.00am, Jessie gave birth to the couple's first son, William. In William's baptism certificate,
the family are still listed as living at 76 Rue Marche Aux Herbes, one of the R. & J. Dick shops, but they are also listed
as domiciled at 40 Springfield Street in Glasgow, the house in which David's father William had resided prior to his death
in 1894, and within which presumably his mother Janet was still dwelling. Williams birth was
registered in the presence of Roderick Fowler or Fawler, a 33 year old merchant tailor,
and 33 year old magasinier François Van Espen.
On October 29th 1898, the couple had a third child, John Brownlee Paton, and his birth was registered in the city on November 7th.
(It was not possible to obtain John's birth certificate in the Brussels archives in March
2004, as the records from that period are still sealed, but his birth date was mentioned in a later census entry.)
In the 1900 Brussels census, David is listed as being resident at
76 Marche Aux Charbons, with his official address being curiously listed as Blackford, his birthplace. In either August 1900
or 1901, Jessie seems to have temporarily returned to Inverness in Scotland, but it is not known
for how long.
In 1902, the second of
the brothers who had founded R. & J. Dick, James Dick, died in Glasgow. According
to the archives of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, preserved at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow:
Both brothers had always given their workers
an almost paternal care... He died a millionaire in 1902, typically leaving most of his fortune in philanthropic
bequests. Nor were his former employees forgotten. In addition to individual gifts to all of his workers, he left the company
itself to 14 of the principal employees.
David was obviously one of the employees to receive a gift from his former boss! From the book "One Hundred
Years of Guttapercha - R & J Dick Limited", we learn that for all the company's managers a bonus of £300 was paid,
in recognition by James Dick for their hard work.
On May 24th 1904, David and Jessie had their youngest son in Belgium,
Charles, who was to become Calum's
and Jamie's great grandfather. (Unfortunately the birth certificate is not yet available from Brussels archaic archive system,
but the birth date has been confirmed from his death certificate.)
Five
months later, David is recorded as having moved to the Koekelberg area of the city, on October 11th 1904.
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| 1904 advert for Balata Dick belts in Brussels |
Also
in 1904, an advert appeared in the Brussels Commercial Almanac, advertising "Balata
Dick belts" for sale in Brussels, at 83 Rue Van Arlevelde. These belts were huge industrial transmission belts for machinery
that were invented by the Dick brothers in 1885 from a new gum resin called 'balata' . Balata was a fantastic alternative
resource to leather, and the so called 'Dickbelts' made from this resin became famous worldwide. The resin was so versatile,
it also replaced guttapercha as a source for the shoe manufacturing arm of R & J Dick. With David being the company's
shoe shop manager in Brussels, there is a strong possibility that he was also in fact a company representative for the promotion
of the Dickbelts made by his company, although this is as yet just a supposition.
And in the Almanac of 1906, we learn that R. & J. Dick
had two shops at this point at 31 Chaussee d'Ixelles and
at 106/108 Rue de Flandre. It is not known if by now the shop at Marche Aux Herbes was still in operation, or whether it had
been closed and a new one opened in its place at Chaussee d' Ixelles.
Another significant event in 1906 was the final passing away of David's mother Janet
Rogers in Glasgow, at 40 Springfield Road. Again, it is not known whether David returned to Scotland to be with his
brothers and sisters for their period of mourning.
The
year 1907 marked a huge change, in that the majority of the family returned to Scotland for a significant period, initially
settling at the Inverness house of Jessie's father, 8 View Place, although David seems to have stayed on in Belgium,
initially with his son Charles.
On May 10th 1907, David sent a photographic
postcard of Charles, taken in Brussels, to his daughter Annie in Inverness. The front of the card, depicting Charles
in a Highland outfit, can be seen below at his biographical entry; the reverse of the card, with David's message is reproduced
here:
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| Postcard written by David to his daughter Annie in 1907 |
Cher Annie,
I only got the photos of Charlie today. I am longing to get a long
letter from you.
Love to all.
Papa
PS. sending C to mother.
Despite
its briefness, the postcard tells us many things. It tells us that Annie was with her mother's family in Inverness, at
8 View Place, and that French was a language that she spoke, with David using words like 'Cher' and 'Papa'. It also tells
us that young Charles was with his father in Belgium at this point, and was on the point of going over to Inverness to join
his sister and mother.
It
may be that David in fact brought Charles over to Scotland himself. The admissions register for Inverness High School (in
fact a primary school), shows that his son John joined class Std I on May 21st 1907, transferring to Std II on August
12th 1908. When John joined the school in May 1907, his parent or guardian was noted as being David H. Paton, resident
at 8 View Place. Interestingly, John was noted as having had previous schooling in Brussels, although the school
itself where this may have happened is not listed. Also of further interest is the fact that neither Annie nor William were
listed as pupils at Inverness High School, and yet we do know that Annie at least was in Inverness at this point.
Shortly after this, we know that David certainly did return to Brussels, as on July 31st 1907, he was again listed as
living alone in the Brussels census, having moved from Koekelberg to new premises on the Rue d' Artois - presumably to
a smaller property that would be less expensive for him to rent.
After
the death of the two Dick brothers, David continued to work for the company, which in 1908 became R. & J. Dick Ltd, having
by now taken on shareholders and diversified its interests to manufacturing mechanical
belts, known as "Dick belts", from a substance called balata, which was as durable as leather, and like guttapercha,
originated from a tree resin. On May 19th 1909, David was recorded as moving to a new property at Ixelles, where he was still
recorded as living alone.
Back
in Inverness, David's youngest son Charles also started his schooling at Inverness High School on April 21st 1909.
But on August 23rd 1910 the register tells us that Charles had left Inverness High School, having "gone to Glasgow".
Why the family uprooted at this point and moved south is unclear, but they presumably stayed with one of David's siblings
in the city, his parents by now being deceased. Hopefully the 1911 census will shed some light on this when it is released
in a few years time!
By
October 1911, Jessie and the family had once more relocated to Belgium. The Belgian authorities recorded on October 10th that
she and the children had moved to the St Gilles commune.
In the 5th annual general meeting of the company in Glasgow in 1912, the minutes
record the effects of the reorganisation of the company's boot department (Mitchell Library:TD 1376):
At home the chief event has been the complete reorganisation
of our Boot trade... we are devoting considerable attention to the Balata Boot and are sanguine of doing well with this article.
We were the first to introduce this boot, as the material used for the soles is identical with the Dick belt. The demand for
the boot is encouraging, and I would suggest to every shareholder that this obvious interest is to increase that demand.
The
new boots took off spectacularly at first, as the minutes of the following year's AGM record ((Mitchell Library:TD
1376; Nov 13th 1913):
The reorganisation of the Boot Department has
been proceeding steadily and shows us that we are on the right line. The results of last year show considerable improvement
on those of previous years and we look to further advance in the current year. We propose in particular to give attention
to extending our retail trade by increasing the number of our shops, and we look to our shareholders to assist in advertising
the excellence of the Ballata boots of R. and J. Dick.
In 1914, the Brussels Commercial Almanach
recorded another shop at 30 Rue St Catherine, a new shop in addition to those already in existence, although this one was
simply named "R. Dicks". The premises, built in 1697, still exist today as a cafe called "Kapiteinje". But with
the advent of the First World War, it was certainly to be the last shop in Belgium that David
would be involved with
Calum's and Jamie's grandfather, Colin Paton (see
the Patons - Part Four page), was told as a child that his father's family had been repatriated to
Britain from
Belgium at the outbreak of the
First World War. After much research, the truth of the story has finally come to light.
On June 28th 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife
was assassinated in Serbia by Gavrilo
Princip, setting off series of events that led to the world madness of the so called 'Great War'. By August 4th, Germany had invaded
Belgium, despite being warned
against doing so by the British. The event signalled Britain's entry into the First World War, and Belgium was to become
one of the bloodiest battlefields of the entire four year long conflict.
David and his family were in the
city on August 20th when Brussels fell to
the Germans. From Memoirs & Diaries: August 1914,
by nurse Esmee Sartorius, comes the following description of the German arrival in the city:
At 3 p.m. next day the Germans marched
in; it was a soul-stirring sight, seeing these impassive and tired-looking troops marching in to what seemed like a deserted
town, every door and window shuttered and barred, and not a civilian to be seen, or a sound to be heard, save the steady tramping
of the German troops, regiment after regiment, guns, cavalry, Uhlans with their fluttering pennons on their lances.
One felt that thousands of Belgians were
waiting and watching behind their shuttered doors and windows, with bated breath and terrible anxiety lest anyone or anything
should cause a disturbance, and so bring down the punishment of the enemy.
However, nothing happened, owing to the
notices which had been posted up everywhere, and the wonderful influence of Burgomaster Max, who had implored everyone to
be careful and to give no cause or excuse for trouble. Brussels being an unfortified town, he had begged the people
to help in a peaceful occupation.
His words had the right effect and, after
a time, doors and windows were opened, and cafes put their chairs and tables outside again, and the town gradually resumed
its everyday life, but with a strong undercurrent of fear and consternation at the terrible feeling that the enemy was really
in occupation, and Brussels under German rule.
Panics were easily started these days,
and one sometimes met a crowd tearing down a street terror-stricken, crying that the French were outside the gates and a battle
beginning, and one had to turn and run with the crowd till the panic was over.
We heard there were a number of wounded
lying not far outside Brussels, and M. and I tried to get a car to take us out there to pick them up, but the Germans would
not allow a car outside the gates just then, so we took a tram as far as we could, then walked, but could find no trace of
them.
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| German soldiers on La Rue Royale, Brussels, First World War |
Over three days, fifty thousand German
troops poured into Brussels, completely unchallenged. The reason for the relative ease in the take over of Brussels was that
the Belgian authorities had realised at an early stage that the city could not in any way be defended. As such, the government
declared Brussels to be an "open city", and the Germans were allowed to simply walk in, whilst the Belgian king, the government
and the majority of foreign diplomats retreated to the fortified town of Antwerp. Only three foreign diplomats remained in
the capital, the ambassadors of China, Spain and the USA, who as well as looking after the interests of their own nationals,
took on the additional responsibility of interceding with the Germans on behalf of other foreigners.
In the immediate aftermath of the invasion, David and
his family almost certainly carried on living their lives as normal, so long as they did not
get up to any activity that was contrary to the German war effort. However, with war now underway, David's shops would
have only been able to sell what they already held in stock, with new stocks from Scotland now completely cut off. This
is confirmed by an entry into the minutes of the R & J Dick AGM on December
4th 1914 in Glasgow (Mitchell Library:TD 1376):
The results of the working of the year have been quite satisfactory.
The gross profit for the year stands at £67,000, against £81,000 last year. A reduction wholly due to the outbreak of the
war. This not only cut off our Continental trade at once, but made it necessary for us to make large provision in case of
loss either upon our stocks in countries now the seat of war, or upon debts owing us by our agents in those countries. We
have as yet heard of no injury to our property and in any case have made provision which we hope will be ample.
In this statement, the company is still preparing against
losses incurred by the German occupation, and had not yet heard of any damage to their Belgian properties. We can assume from
this that in the immediate aftermath then that David was carrying on business as normal.
However, there was
one big upheaval in the Patons' family life. David's eldest son William, being of military age, had
managed to return to Scotland just prior to the invasion, in order that he could sign up for the war effort. He may have returned
to Scotland as an enthusiastic volunteer, or perhaps he was sent by his father in order to do his duty. He may have
even been recalled by R. & J. Dick themselves, being an employee of the company, which was under some pressure to provide
volunteers. Either way, in setting off for Greenhead works in Glasgow, there was undoubtedly
a lot of heartache in the Paton household, with the future now completely uncertain. William, upon his return to Scotland,
volunteered to join the British Army Medical Corps as a medical orderly, and his prior departure from Belgium was the
last time he would ever see his father again.
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| David views the German arrival [Your Family Tree (c) 2006 Future Publ. Ltd, illus by Garry Walton] |
David and his family remained in Brussels, British
citizens trapped in a country occupied by the enemy. David had stayed in order that eh could keep an eye on the properties
owned by his company, and to even continue to trade as normal if that was at all possible. But why his family remained with
him is perhaps more puzzling - perhaps they did not wish to be separated, or perhaps they physically could not get out of
the city. Perhaps the answer was more simple - most people believed that the war would only be short, over by Christmas, perhaps
if they just stuck it out, things would soon return to normal.
But the war did not end immediately. And whilst British residents
in German occupied territories were allowed a degree of freedom in the initial weeks of the war, that was soon to change.
Towards the end of October 1915, a German press campaign began to demand retaliation for the alleged internment of German
civilians in Britain. On October 31st the Germans gave the UK an ultimatum to release all German civilians from internment,
or else every British man in German hands would be arrested and interned. The British ignored the demand, and on November
6th 1914, the order was given by the Germans for the detention of every Briton of fighting age.
Being 49 years of age, David was certainly of fighting age,
and it may be that this was the time that he was forced into hiding. We have no documentary evidence to show what happened,
but we do have the story as recalled by David's son William to his own daughter Joan West
(nee Paton), which she retold to Calum's and Jamie's father in December 2003. At some point after the invasion, the
Germans had demanded that David turn over all of his company books to the new occupying administration. David refused to do
so, and immediately went into hiding in the house of a Dutch friend. It does not appear that the whole family went into hiding,
only David himself, and for the next few months, David was a fugitive from the Germans, who we know from a subsequent letter
written by Jessie in 1917 then duly shut down his shops. We can only imagine how David spent his months in hiding, whether
he was able to maintain contact with his wife and family, and whether he was ever close to being detected.
But psychologically, things finally began to take their
toll. David took ill whilst in hiding, an illness which Jessie later maintained was a very expensive one to treat. In 1916,
all was to finally end tragically for David. The minutes of R. & J. Dick's ninth annual general meeting, held
at the Accountant's Hall at 218 St
Vincent Street, Glasgow, on Friday December 22nd, tell us of what eventually
happened to David from the company's point of view:
In addition to material, we have given many men to the war.
Our Roll of Honour consists of 135 names. Of these, all were volunteers. Out of the eligible men of military age, 94 per cent
offered themselves voluntarily. Out of these ten have been killed, ten wounded, one "gassed", and one is reported as missing.
Besides these we have lost the manager of our shops in Brussels; after the German occupation he remained for many months in
concealment, doing his best for the Company's interests. I regret that the strain and anxiety cost him his life...
David died on March 12th 1916, after a long illness whilst in hiding. From conversations with his
granddaughters Anne McGillivray Cameron (Paton)
and Joan Elizabeth West (Paton),
the following is also known about the tragedy surrounding his death...
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| David's final refuge, 32 Rue Stevin, visited by his great grandson, Chris Paton on March 1st, 2004 |
For several months David had remained concealed in the house of a Dutchman in the city, who was another
employee of the company. On March 12th 1916, David apparently ended up having a furious row with the Dutchman
over something. The row caused a deeply stressed out David to collapse in the Dutchman's house, and shortly after, he
died. Apparently a doctor had been sought, but none was available. The Dutchman, terrified of being found with David
in his house and of being accused as a collaborator with the enemy, left David's body out in the street for the Germans to
find. His body was soon discovered and buried somewhere in the city.
From the research carried out in Brussels,
it has now been ascertained that the house in which David died was 32 Rue Stevin. At the time, his official residence was
at 100 St Gilles Rue d' Espagne. According to the death certificate, he was exactly 50 years, 6 months and 27 days old,
born in Blackford, son of William Hay Paton and Janet Rogers. His wife Jessie and another gentleman called Alfred
Carlier, who was jobless at the time, were the two informants to the Brussels
registrar.
Upon David's death, the authorities in Brussels released
a certificate regarding the guardianship of his children in the aftermath of his death. Many efforts were made by the American
legation and the British Foreign Office to try and trace his widow Jessie and their children, in order to present them with
the certificate. The authorities were mistakenly convinced (as can be seen from a series of surviving letters stored in the
National Archives in Kew) that the family were in fact living back in Glasgow. This would seem to indicate that Jessie and
the children were also in hiding at the time of David's death. The details recorded in the certificate are as follows:
Convention
Internationale de la Haye du 12 Juin 1902
PROVINCE DE BRABANT
JUSTICE DE PAIX DU CANTON
DE SAINT-GILLES
LEZ-BRUXELLES
Bulletin des declarations
relatives a la tutelle d’ etrangers
_____________________________________________________________________
Numero du register
des tutelles: 31/1916
Date du deces: 12/3
Nom et Prenoms du
decede: Paton, David Hepburn
Profession: negociant
Emeure avec indication
de la commune, du hameau, de la section et du numero: Glasgow,
domicile legal. Residence rue d’ Espagne 100 St Gilles
Etat Civil du decede
celibataire, marie ou veuf: Epouse
Nom et Prenoms du
conjoint avec indication s’il est survivant ou predecede:
MacFarlane, Jessie
Nom et prenoms des
heritiers mineurs absents ou interdits avec mention de l’age des mineurs: William,
19 ans, John 17 ans, Charles 11
ans
Si Les Heritiers
mineurs ou interdits ont un tuteur legal ou datif: oui leur mere
Si le Decede laisse
des biers, meubles ou immeubles: biens meubles
Parente et d. meure
des parents: en Angleterre
Saint-Gilles, lez-Bruxelles,
le 23 Mars, 1916
Le Juge de paix,
G. Verbier
(For more on the efforts to trace
Jessie and the rest of the Paton family at this point, visit the MacFarlane page.)
Shortly after David's death, Jessie and the three remaining children,
appear to have been found and interviewed by the Germans. The eldest son, John, having by now turned 18, and
therefore now judged by the enemy to be of military age, was taken as a civilian prisoner of
war and sent to Germany. He was interned at the concentration camp at Ruhleben just outside of Spandau, Berlin,
where a commandeered racecourse had been turned into a makeshift POW facility for civilians.
In July 1916, there were some 3759 civilian prisoners from Germany, France and Belgium held
at the camp.
Jessie
and the two younger children were subsequently set free by the Germans, of whom Jessie once remarked to her granddaughter
Joan, were "perfect gentlemen" to her, although somewhat "pompous". They remained in Brussels until the end of the war. In
1917 Jessie wrote a series of letters to her brother in law James Paton (see Paton - Part Three), asking for financial assistance from R. and J. Dicks. These letters to James, held at the National Archives in
London, have shed considerable light on their situation, and can be viewed at the MacFarlane page. In a letter dated August 23rd 1917, from R. and J. Dicks to the Foreign Office in Downing
Street, regarding the payment of a small sum a week to help Jessie out, the company wrote the following line concerning David:
We may add that
the late David Paton was an old and trusted servant of this company, and we trust that your Department will find it possible
to assist us in helping his widow.
Three months after David's tragic death, his eldest son William,
serving in the British Army as a medical orderly, was informed of his father's fate in a letter from his uncle,
Joseph Woodroffe Paton. The letter was dated June 19th 1916, and reads:
Dear William
By the time you get this letter, I suspect you will
have learned the sorrowful news, that your poor Father, has been unable to stand the strain any longer of what he has been
passing through since war began, and we have indirectly got word of his passing away. I would rather keep such news from you
but perhaps you would rather that I should tell you. I went to your Colonels wife (Mrs Thomson) and she very willingly offered
to write to her husband, asking him to break the news to you, and I would follow with a letter giving you what details we
have which are very few.
Mr Van DEndon (Leige) was in Brussels on Business some
few weeks ago, and on returning send word to Mr Traill that Mr Paton had died of shock due to nervous breakdown. Mr Traill
of course wrote Greenhead, and Mr Hay told me the contents of the letter. What a pity they did not all clear out of Belgium
when they could have. Of course, you must understand I was almost going to write false news, but one hardly can discredit
the report of a man connected with the Firm, who was in Brussels so lately, and I think we must accept it as being too true.
As to your Mother and the rest we have no news. I thought on writing your Mother, and paid a visit to the Belgian Consul to
get his advice. At first he said Yes I could risk writing, but he had in his office a Belgian lady whom he called in he said
the only way was via Holland. If I knew any one in Holland, I was first to write a letter to your Mother, send it on to Mr
Traill (for I told the lady of him) he was to re-write the letter and send it on to Brussels. This, of course, could be done
Willie if Traill was willing, but how do we know that they are living at Rue de Mont Blanc now. The chances are very much
the other way, so I hardly know what to do. We will get the full and correct account of everything by and by, but the suspense
is very trying, worse than if we knew the very worst.
I am very sorry indeed to have to give you such sad
news, but sorrowful things are happening daily just now. First we thought of withholding the news from you for a time but
then we thought of this plan being the best. I have not told Inverness yet. Do you think I should. I will do so, if you wish
it. As to date of your Fathers death we gather it is on or about March 15th nothing definite. You will feel the
loss very keenly as we all do and we hope that God will spare you to come home and look after those (being the eldest Son)
whom he has left. No more at present will write to you again.
Hope you will bear up and stick to your duty. God bless
you.
Your loving Uncle Joe
William was no doubt devastated to hear the news, and upon his own
death in 1978, this letter was discovered folded up inside his wallet.
After the war ended, the Scotsman carried an article on page 3
of the December 28th 1918 issue, summarising the AGM of R. & J. Dick, entitled "R. &
J. Dick, Limited - Features of a Successful Year". At the meeting, plans were announced to get the Belgian trade started up
again:
Our trade in Belgium, was of course, suspended
during the war, and our employees underwent much hardship and appear to have endeavoured to fulfil their duties with great
zeal. Our representative is under orders to go round Belgium as soon as possible and re-open business.
David
died intestate in Belgium, as evident from the Scottish Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories for 1919:
PATON, David Hepburn, Shop manager to
R & J Dick Ltd, late of Rue St. Catherine, Brussels, Belgium, formerly of 100 Cumberland Street, Glasgow, died 12 March
1916 at Brussels, intestate. Confirmation granted at Glasgow, 25 February, to Jessie McFarlane or Paton, 18 Aitken Street,
Dennistoun, Glasgow, Executrix dative qua relict. Value of estate £204 17s 1d.
The full transcription of David's testament is as follows (NAS:SC/36/48/295):
Personal Estate of David Hepburn Paton DECEASED.
At Glasgow the fourth day of February 1919 the following inventory
of the Personal Estate of the late David Hepburn Paton was presented for registration in this register conform to law by Alexander
Robertson and Son, 243 West George Street, Glasgow.
Inventory of the Moveable or Personal Estate and Effects wheresoever
situated of the late David Hepburn Paton, Shop Manager, to R. and J. Dick Ltd, late of Rue St. Catherine, Brussels, Belgium,
formerly of 100 Cumbernauld Street, Glasgow East, who died at Brussels on the 12th day of March 1916.
1. 200 Preference Sares of £1 each fully paid in R. &
J. Dick Ltd. Greenhead, Glasgow at 19/- per share_____£190
Outstanding dividends since 1914 viz:-
Dividend due 11th Nov 1914 £5, 3s and 3d
Dividend due 15th May 1915 £4, 19s and 3d
Dividend due 11th Nov 1915 £4, 14s and 10d
£14, 17s and 1d
Dividend due 15th May 1916 £4,
13s and 6d
Dividend due 11th Nov 1916 £4, 4s and
8d
Dividend due 15th May 1917 £4, 2s and 6d
Dividend due 11th Nov 1917 £4, 2s and 6d
Dividend due 15th May 1918 £4, 2s and
6d
Dividend due 11th Nov 1918 £3, 18s and 1d
£204, 17s and 1d
Signed Jessie Paton
D. M. Mowat, JP
At Glasgow 22nd day of Jan 1919
in the presence of David Marr Mowat, iron merchant 174 West George Street....
Mrs Jessie McFarlane or Paton, widow, residing at 18 Aitken Street, Denistoun, Glasgow.
Compeared Andrew Logan, draper, 53 Cumberland Street, Glasgow East, and
Mrs Elizabeth Crosbie or Paton, wife of Joseph Paton, 100 Cumberland Street, Glasgow.
Moveable in UK___________________£204, 17s and 1d
Other moveables per acc no. 1_____£133, 6s and 8d
Total____________________________£338, 3s and 9d
Confirmed 25/2/1919
Many thanks indeed has to
go to Brussels based researcher
Francis Houart, for all his help in researching David's story in Brussels. Francis has been
a real help in locating adverts for the shops in Belgian trade journals, a contemporary postcard of
the shop at Rue de Flandre, and much background information on the period David spent in Brussels,
including census reports and vital records. In March 2004, Calum's and Jamie's parents spent an enjoyable two days with
Francis and his wife Gaby in Brussels, visiting all the various sites that were connected with David's story - thanks Francis,
it's much appreciated!
* A Case Study on David's experience in
Brussels, and that of his family, has been published in Your Family Tree magazine, issue 40, July 5th 2006.
CHILDREN of DAVID HEPBURN PATON and JESSIE MACFARLANE:
(1)
Annie Paton
b: 26/4/1894
d: 25/3/1975
Annie was Calum's and Jamie's great great aunt.
Annie was born at 3.30pm
on April 26th 1894 in Brussels, Belgium, and the registration of her birth on the 28th was witnessed by 37 year old Auguste
Moreau, negociant, and 23 year old magasinier Charles Depoorter from Schaerbeek (Reg no: 1632).
The birth certificate reads:
Annie MacGillivray Paton, nee le vingt six
dec mois a trois heures apres midi, rue de Marche Aux Herbes, no. 76, 4e Don; fille de David Hepburn Paton, gerant, ne a Blackford
(Ecosse) et de Jessie MacFarlane, nee a Inverness (Ecosse), conjoints, residant meme maison et domiciles a Glasgow.
Sur la declaration du pere,
age de vingt neuf ans.
En presence d' Auguste
Moreau, negociant, age de trente sept ans, domicile a Bruxelles, et de Charles Depoorter, magasiniere, age de vingt trois
ans, domicile a Schaerbreek.
At the time of her birth,
her parents were living at Marche Aux Herbes.
Annie spent the first twenty
years of her life in Brussels, and was there when the Germans invaded in August 1914. After the death of her father in March
1916, Annie remained with her mother under a form of house arrest in Brussels, and was there until at least January 1918,
and most likely the whole war. She had to endure not only the death of her father, but the imprisonment of her younger brother
John, and the uncertainty of her brother William's service with the army.
When the war was over,
Annie returned to Glasgow with her mother and brother Charlie, and settled in Glasgow.
Calum's and Jamie's great
aunt Sheila Cobby (nee Paton) recalls how when she was laid up in hospital with her childhood illness of
polio, she received a collection of Beatrix Potter books from her Aunt Annie. Sheila never actually met her aunt, neither
did Calum's and Jamie's grandfather Colin.
Their cousin Joan
West (nee Paton) however, recalls how Annie moved to Inverness with her mother Jessie Paton,
nee McFarlane (Calum's and Jamie's great great granny) during the Second World War. With the outbreak of war, William
Paton, Annie's brother, had insisted they go at once to the north, not wishing them to go through what they did during the
prior war, and that they would be safer there from German bombs than in Glasgow. Annie and Jessie shared a house
initially on South Street with a Mrs Murray, and were visited by Joan after the war when she was stationed at a Royal Naval
base in Lossiemouth. Annie never married, and took up work in Inverness at Menzies bookshop.
Annie's grand nephew, Alan Paton, also recalls how he
and his grandfather William visited her in Inverness in her latter days. Alan recalls that she had a very strong French
accent still, after all the years she had been back in Scotland, and that she constantly berated her brother William for having
no French at all, what she considered should have been his 'mother tongue'!! Alan also recalls seeing a portrait of Annie,
painted when she was about 19, and says that in her youth, she was an absolute stunner. The whereabouts of this portrait is
no longer known.
Annie eventually
died on March 25th 1975 at her home in Inverness, with her death registered on the 28th by her cousin by marriage, Ann
H. Cooney, who at that time was residing at Ardlair, Saltburn Road, Invergordon, Rossshire. The cause of death was
bronchopneumonia, hypertension and carcinoma of the breast (GROS:1975/231/214).
The following notice was placed on page one of the Inverness Courier on March
25th 1975:
PATON - Suddenly at Raigmore Hospital,
Inverness, on the 24th March 1975, Annie Paton, 91a Bruce Gardens, Inverness. Service on Thursday, at 1.45pm., at Messrs D.
Chisholm & Sons' Service Room, 10 George Street, Inverness; thereafter Funeral to Tomnahurich Cemetery. All friends respectfully
invited.
______________________________
(2) William Paton
b: 11/10/1896 d: 18/10/1978
William was Calum's and Jamie's great great uncle.
William was born in Brussels, Belgium on October 11th 1896, as recorded
in the Brussels birth register:
William Paton, ne l'onze dece mois, a onze
heures du matin, rue de Marche Aux Herbes No. 76, 4 Don; fils de David Hepburn Paton, gerant, ne a Blackford (Perthshire,
Ecosse) et de Jessie MacFarlane, nee a Inverness (Ecosse), conjoints, residant meme maison, et domicilies a Glascow, Springfield
Road No. 40.
Sur la declaration du pere age de trente
deux ans.
En presence de Roderick Fowler, marchand
tailleur, age de trente trois ans, et de Francois Van Espen, magasinier, age de trente trois ans, domiciles a Bruxelles.
Shortly after his birth, on December 1st, William was then baptised
at the Church of the Resurrection in the city, by the chaplain, the Reverend N. Hudson.
As a young boy William lived with his father at 76 Rue Marche Aux Herbes,
the site of one of the two shops owned by R. & J. Dick, the shoemakers. In 1911, William, like his father, took
up employment with R. & J. Dick Ltd, working for his father at one of the shops.
At some stage prior to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, William
returned to Scotland, to Greenhead works in Glasgow, the parent site of R & J Dick. On June 7th 1915, William signed up
in Glasgow to join the Royal Army Medical Corps in Glasgow, in front of A. M. Watson, Justice of the Peace, and with
his address noted as 100 Cumberland Street East. He joined the 3/1st LMBFA (L? Motor Brigade Field Ambulance) and on July
17th was granted 5th rate Corps pay, at the same time being transferred to the 1/1st.
On October 10th he entered his first theatre of war, being sent to the
Balkans, and when there he joined the massive Allied force that would
attempt to seize the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. William's grandson
Alan Paton recalls a story that his own father told him about William, regarding his service at Gallipoli.
Amidst all the gunfire, William, working as a medical orderly, picked up a wounded Allied soldier and ran for almost a mile
with him on his back, towards a medical tent in the rear lines. As William lowered the wounded soldier to the ground, a doctor
looked at him and coldly said, "This one is dead - go and get another one". As Alan put it, the horrors of war.
The whole Gallipoli campaign had been torn to pieces by early 1916, and
in its aftermath it is not yet known where William was relocated. Shorly after June 19th 1916, however, he received a
letter from his uncle, Joseph Woodroffe Paton, in which he learned of the untimely death of his father in
Brussels. The letter urged him to maintain his duty in this difficult time, and to see himself safely home, for it would soon
be up to him to look after his mother and father as the head of the household. On July 20th he was granted six weeks furlough
to England, taking him up to early September, but on September 22nd 1916 he is again 'granted special leave on compassionate
grounds', as authorised by GHQ - clearly the impact of his father's death was major on the family back in Britain.
The leave expired on November 2nd 1916, after which William returned to service.
|
|
| Postcard received by William in Palestine, July 1917 - who is the mystery lady from Perth? |
From a postcard received by William in
1917, and kept by his daughter Anne McGillivray Cameron (nee Paton), we learn that by now William had
been posted to Palestine. The postcard is of a young woman photographed at Ideal Studios Ltd in Perth, but it is not yet known
who she may have been, although being Perth, it may have been a cousin on the Paton side of his family. Very little is written
on the back of the postcard, save for the words "Received in Palestine 25th July 1917".
William returned to Scotland, with two medals
for his work in the Medical Corps, and in 1918, he is found to have been living at 100 Cumberland Street in the
Gorbals, in the same tenement block where his aunt Margaret and grandmother Janet Paton lived.
William married 20 year old clerkess Mary
Woodrow Pollock on September 9th 1918, at 22 Brandon Street, Glasgow, in a ceremony according to the forms of the
Wesleyan Methodist Church. Mary was a very religious lady, visiting church three times every Sunday, and was the daughter
of bricklayer Jacob Pollock and Joan Elizabeth Johnstone. Like William, she worked
for R. & J. Dick Ltd. William was himself a private in the Royal Army Medical Corps. The witnesses to the wedding were
his aunt Margaret Robertson Paton and Jacob Pollock, and the service was carried out by
the Reverend Henry Buckley of St Thomas Wesleyan Church in Glasgow (GROS:1918/644/3/803).
On leaving the army, William worked initially as a
boot maker, obviously following his father into the footwear industry. He worked for R. & J. Dick, just like his wife,
his father and his uncle Joseph, in the factory at Greenhead, Glasgow.
William settled down in Glasgow with Mary, where he
had six children. By 1922 he is described in his daughter Mary's birth certificate as a shoemaker (foreman).
William's and Mary's niece, Sheena
Shaw, nee Paton, told Calum's and Jamie's father in December 2004 that she used to love visiting
her uncle's and aunt's house, as it was "a happy house to go to", with all the kids running around and all the delicious
home baking that her Aunt Mary used to leave out on the table for them, when she and her parents visited.
William's daughter Ann also
recalls that her father used to play a piano in their house at Stonyhurst Street, and the whole family would have sing songs
around their father. William was never formally trained in the piano, but was able to pick up a tune and play it back
perfectly.
|
|
| William Paton, left, with nurses and inmates at the TB hospital in the Ochils - 1924 |
In 1924, William fell ill, and it was suspected that he
had contrcated tuberculosis. As a precaution, he was sent to a sanitorium in the Ochil Hills, but after a period of recuperation,
regained his strength and was allowed to return home to Glasgow.
In the late 1920s, things at R. and J. Dick Ltd were beginning to go wrong. The
company began to find its markets increasingly difficult to maintain, and were unable to keep up the supply of the gums
needed for the manuafacture of their balata belts. By 1931, things had become so desperate that many of the company's staff
were laid off, and amongst them was William. He received a reference from the company's director which stated:
Wm. Paton was in our service for 20 years. The first
three years were spent in one of our shops in Brussels, Belgium, under his father, who was our Manager in that country.
Seventeen years ago he came to Greenhead Works, and
during that time he had experience of the Clicking, Lasting and Finishing Rooms. For the last ten of these 17 years he hads
been Foreman in our Repairs Department, in which capacity he was a very efficent man.
We are sorry to lose his services now, but this is
quite unavoidable, as we find it necessary to put our Repairs Department on a more economical basis.
R & J Dick Limited,
Wm. J. Clark, Director.
After a period of unemployment, William went on to work in a cobblers
shop in Possilpark, and eventually ran his own cobblers shop himself.
Tragedy was to hit William and his family on November 15th 1945, when his younger
brother John Paton died of tuberculosis in Glasgow. Tuberculosis would also hit again even more cruelly,
when on April 4th 1947, William's daughter Maisie finally passed away herself after suffering from the
disease.
|
|
| William gives away his niece Morag at her wedding in Glasgow, 1947 |
Two months later, on June 16th 1947, William gave away his niece Morag
Paton at her wedding to 25 year old automobile association clerk Ernest Isaac Saywood, the wedding
taking place at St Luke's Church of Scotland in Glasgow, performed by the Reverend Alexander Mackenzie.
In 1956, at the age of 60, William retired, and in 1959, both he and Mary
moved to Drumchapel. No sooner had they moved than
they were once again predeceased by one of their children, this time David,
in 1960.
In September 1978, the couple celebrated sixty years of marriage,
and received a telegram from the Queen congratulating them. A surviving cutting from an unknown local newspaper from the time
tells the story:
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. William Paton, 7 Drumchapel
Road, who celebrated their Diamond Wedding on September 24. Among the many cards received from family and friends, there was
a telegram from Buckingham Palace which read...
"The Queen sends you Warm Congratulations and Good
Wishes on your Diamond Wedding Day."
William, 82, and his wife, "over 21", say that these
60 years of marriage have been happy, being blessed with a good family - seven children, 13 grandchildren, and four great
grandchildren. They have lived in Drumchapel for 19 years, and in that time they have made many friends and are well thought
of in the district.
William tragically died at 10.00am
on October 18th 1978, at his home of 7 Drumchapel Road, Glasgow, just four days after he learned of the death of his son John
Paton, who was living in New Zealand. William's son William informed the register of the death entry. The cause was
acute myocardial ischaemia, congestive cardiac failure and diabetic vascular disease (GROS:1978/607/803).
The following death notice was recorded for William in the Glasgow Evening
Times of October 20th 1978, p.38:
PATON - Suddenly at his home, 7 Drumchapel
Road, Glasgow, G15 on 18th October 1978, WILLIAM PATON, beloved husband of Mary Pollock - Service at Clydebank Crematorium,
North Dalnotter tomorrow (Saturday)at 11.30am; no flowers please.
And the following thank you was
also placed in the Evening Times, on October 25th 1978, p.39:
PATON - The FAMILY of the late WILLIAM PATON
wish to thank all relatives, friends and neighbours for kind expressions of sympathy received in their recent sad bereavement;
also the Rev Mr Inglis for services rendered and police; and Clydebank Co-operative for funeral arrangements - 7 Drumchapel
Road, Glasgow, G15.
William's wife Mary passed away herself
on December 20th 1985 at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow. At the time of her death, her address was 60 Kennishead
Avenue. The cause of her death was bronchopneumonia and ischaemic heart disease. Mary's daughter Anne registered
her death in Glasgow on Christmas Eve 1985 (GROS:1985/609/920).
Mary's passing was also noted
in the Glasgow Evening Times, on December 24th 1985, p.43:
PATON - peacefully at the Southern
General Hospital, Glasgow, on 20th December 1985, MARY, beloved wife of the late William Paton, late of 7 Drumchapel Road,
Glasgow, a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Funeral service at Linn Crematorium, Lainshaw Drive, on Friday
27th December at 10.30am to which friends are invited. No flowers please.
CHILDREN of WILLIAM PATON and MARY POLLOCK:
(i) Joan Elizabeth Paton
b: 19XX
Joan was born at 22 Hendon Street in Calton, Glasgow. At the time
of her birth her father was listed as a boot machinist.
One of Joan's early memories concerned her sixth birthday. Joan
was given a new dress by her mother and then told to pop round to her grandmother's house in Glasgow, to show off the dress.
She arrived at her granny's and remembers that as well as her granndmother being present, her uncle Charles and aunt
Annie were also in attendance. Her granny gave her a piece of shortbread, which Joan did not want, but in order not to let
her grandmother know that, she tried to hide it in her bag, only to have her uncle Charles stop her and say, "If you don't
want that, I'll have it", at which he then took it from her!
Joan was a chief petty officer in the Royal Navy, and
every couple of years her post would rotate. During the war she was based at Machrahanish, working in the "Nissan city",
the nickname for the base, made almost entirley from Nissan huts. Joan describes herself as "having a good war", and remembers
that amongst her duties she was on fire watch every night, waiting for German incendiary bombs to fall on her base, which
ultimately never happened.
|
|
| Joan's wedding in Possilpark, Scotland, in 1948 |
Joan joined the Woman's Royal Naval Service (the WRENS) and married Royal
Naval Petty Officer Denis Neil West, son of retired Police sergeant William Henry West and
Elsie Mary Neale. At the time of the wedding, Denis was based at RN Air Station Arbroath, whilst Joan,
a Chief WREN at the time, was at home in 220 Stonyhurst Street in Glasgow. The witnesses were A. Paton,
from her home, and J. Harnott, from 26 Beresford Crescent in Newcastle. The minister was the Reverend W.
Nethercote, and the service took place at Possilpark Church of Scotland. The marriage was subsequently recorded in the
Evening Times:
WEST-PATON:- At Possilpark Parish Church,
XXXX XX XXXX, by the Rev. W. Nethercote, Denis Neil West, R. N., son of Mr. and Mrs. W. West, Haywards Heath, Sussex, to Joan
Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Paton, 220 Stonyhurst Street, Possilpark.
After the war, Joan remembers visiting her grandmother
Jessie in her house at South Street, Inverness, in 1948, shortly before her death. She did not have a favorable impression
of her grandmother or her aunt!
|
|
| Joan Elizabeth Paton and her grandsons, Patrick (11), Keith (8) and Andrew (6) - Christmas 2002 |
Joan's husband was also in the Navy, in the Fleet Air Arm, and retired
in 1965. He tragically died in September 1998 as the result of an accident, falling off a ladder whilst decorating in his
house. The incident was more tragic in that the couple had just two months before celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Joan also remembers meeting Calum's and Jamie's great grandfather Charles
Paton during the Second World War, when he visited his brother in Glasgow. He arrived dressed in his RAF uniform,
and Joan describes him as being a very kind man.
Through Joan, it has finally been possible to find out what happened
to Calum's and Jamie's great great grandfather David Hepburn Paton in Belgium in 1916, and for this, and
other information on the family that she has supplied, we are eternally grateful.
CHILDREN of JOAN PATON and DENNIS WEST:
(a) Caroline Leslie West
b: 19XX
|
|
| Carolyn West, in approx 2002 |
Caroline lives in North London near her mother
Joan.
Caroline's hobbies include being a member of the Richard III Society,
with whom she has been on several trips overseas, including to Belgium.
Caroline is currently unmarried.
(b) Christopher
Charles West
b: 19XX
|
|
| Chris West in London, approx 2002 |
Chris was christened in Glasgow, Scotland.
Christopher initially worked for a time on
the oil rigs off Aberdeen. He then moved to Anchorage in Alaska several years ago, where he now works as a project manager
for BP, the company he formerly worked for having been taken over by them.
Christopher is married to Lisa
and has had four children, although the eldest, Timothy, tragically died at a young age due
to leukaemia.
Today Christopher and Lisa do all that they
can to raise money for leukaemia research in the United States.
CHILDREN of CHRISTOPHER
WEST and LISA:
{1} Timothy
James West
b: 1990 d: 26/5/1994
Timothy was born in the United States,
but tragically developed leukemia at the age of three. He became something of a national figure in the United States,
as his smiles and courage became an inspiration to the nation, influencing amongst others, the President of the United States, William
Jefferson Clinton, who met Timothy whilst on a visit to the clinic at which he was being treated in Houston.
The following articles from British newspapers
outline the family's struggle to find Timothy a donor:
The Glasgow Herald (16/02/1994)
SEARCH FOR BONE MARROW DONOR
A search was last night under way for British relatives who might
provide bone marrow for a three year old boy who is seriosuly ill with leukemia in a Texas clinic. Timothy West, who was last
week given a piggy back by US President Bill Clinton during a meeting with cancer sufferers, can only be saved by a marrow
trabsplant. The youngster, who is in a clinic in Houston, has an American mother and British father - and somewhere in the
UK there may be a distant relative who can help to save his life. His aunt, Judith Smith, who lives in Essex, has been checking
branches of the family.
Hope was briefly raised when Judith's research turned up a cousin in Jersey:
Evening Standard (24/3/1994)
BRITON HELPS US CANCER BOY
A THREE YEAR OLD American boy drying of leukemia may be saved by
a second cousin traced to Britain.
Timothy West, who won the heart of US President Bill Clinton, needs
a bone marrow transplant. He came to world attention when photographed being piggybacked by Mr. Clinton at a party for children
with cancer.
After Timothy's doctors failed to find a marrow donor in
America, an aunt who lives in Essex, Judith Smith, appealed for help in tracing British relatives who might be suitable.
The Northern Echo newspaper, based in darlington, became involved
after hearing Judith's appeal. None of the distant relatives contacted in the North-East of England was found to have an ideal
match, but the paper's enquiries eventually turned up a second cousin in the Channel Islands.
Janet McPherson, who lives in Jersey, was found to have the most
compatible bone marrow and arrangements have now been made to fly her to the US. A marrow donation will be taken from her
next month at the special clinic in Houston, Texas, where Timothy is being treated.
Timothy's mother, Lisa, said from Houston: "It will take a year
before we know whether it has worked, but it certainly gives us great hope."
Sadly, despite everyone's best efforts, Timothy
was ultimately to lose the battle against his cancer. Upon his death, President Bill Clinton issued the following press release:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release: May 26, 1994
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
"Hillary and I were heartbroken when we learned
that Timothy West, the four-year-old boy with leukemia who hugged me so close when I visited him, died this morning in Houston.
This precious boy carried the burdens of his illness with courage and a sense of warmth that touched me deeply.
"Our prayers are with Timothy's parents, Chris
and Lisa West, and we especially want to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for pouring
so much of themselves into Timothy's treatment and care. On such a sorrowful day, I hope they will feel healed by Timothy's
strength and the knowledge that he is now with God."
A photo album of Timothy and his parents
can be seen at the 2004 Lone Star Circle of Life Tour title honoree page:
|
|
| Calum's and Jamie's third cousins - Patrick, Keith and Andrew - Christmas 2001 |
{2} Christopher
Patrick West
b: 19XX
Currently lives in Alaska.
{3} Keith
Alexander West
b: 19XX
Currently lives in Alaska.
{4} Andrew
Thomas West
b: 19XX
Currently lives in Alaska.
(c) Judith
Penelope West
b: 19XX
|
|
| Judith and her mother Joan in London, summer 2004 |
After Judith's birth, she was baptised in
the ship's bell of HMS Lion.
Judith is currently married to Robin,
and lives north of London, England, having spent some time in the past working in Washington. The couple have no children.
Today, Judith runs her own business in London,
supplying electronics components to industry, where according to her own analysis, she's "not doing too badly"!
(ii) David Hepburn Paton
b: 13/12/1920 d: 2/4/1960
|
|
| David Paton and his brother John |
Named after his grandfather, David was born at 2.15am on December 13th
1920, at 172 Graeme Street in Calton, Glasgow. His father, listed as a bootmaker (foreman) registered the birth on the 14th
(GROS:1920/644/3/2085).
David became an iron and steel turner, and at the age of 23, on April
7th 1944, he married 21 year old electric welder Isabella Hyslop Gall Lone, daughter of steel work foreman
Edward Duncan Lone and Isabella Hyslop Gall. At the time of the wedding David was living
at 220 Stonyhurst Street in Glasgow, whilst Isabella lived at 61 Carbeth Street in the city. The witnesses were his brother
William Hay Paton, from Stoneyhurst Street, and S. H. Lone, from 61 Carbeth Street.
The wedding was registered on the 12th (GROS:1944/644/11/113), and was additionally recorded in the Evening Times on
April 10th 1944:
PATON-LONE:- At Possilpark Parish
Church, on 7th April, 1944, by Rev. J. Melrose, David Hepburn, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Paton, 220 Stonyhurst Street,
N., to Isabella Hyslop Gall, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Lone, 61 Carbeth Street, N.
David died at 12.00 noon on April 2nd 1960 at 15 Leadburn Road in Glasgow,
the cause being a coronary thrombosis, as certified by Dr. D. H. Urquhart. His father informed the registrar on the 4th (GROS:1960/644/1/319).
CHILDREN of DAVID PATON and ISABELLA GALL:
(a) Dorothy
Anne Paton
b: 19XX
Dorothy was born at 63 Posset Road, Glasgow.
At the time of her birth, her father was listed as being an ironturner, residing at 29 Oakbank Terrace.
Dorothy was
unfortunate to have to witness her 39 year old father collapsing and passing away in front of her, in the back garden
of their home, and can still remember the day clearly.
Her mother remarried in December 1966 to a Yorkshireman called Robert Dunning
(Bob) and when Dorothy was about 14 years of age the family moved to live in Rawmarsh, Rotherham, South Yorkshire,
where she still lives today. Dorothy kept her
Paton surname, flatly refusing to take on her stepfather's surname, though in time Dorothy and Bob became very close, he not having any children of his own. Dorothy
describes Bob as being a "poor thing inheriting me at that age with my very stubborn Paton streak". Bob was patient
with her and eventually won her around by getting her a dog which she had always wanted but couldn't have living in a
flat in Glasgow.
In 1970 Dorothy
left school and started work in the Civil Service in the then Department of Social Security. Today she is still a civil servant,
working as a senior policy manager for disability programmes.
Dorothy married Welshman Dennis Crook and the
couple have one son.
After her move
to Yorkshire, Dorothy kept in regular contact with the Paton family, especially her granny and grandad Paton, regularly visiting
them, and of whom she has many fond memories, including when her granny
used to disappear into the kitchen and come out with all sorts of homemade goodies like doughnuts, whilst her grandad was
always willing to sit and talk and listen and advise. Dorothy also has an extensive shoe collection and her excuse to
her husband for the last 30 years has been that if her grandfather was a shoemaker, it's in the blood!
CHILDREN of DOROTHY PATON and DENNIS CROOK:
Robert David Crook
b: 19XX
Robert was born 19XX
in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and was named after both his mother's father and stepfather.
Rob is currently
6 foot 2 inches tall, which is quite a surprise to his mother who is only 4 foot 11inches, taking after her Granny Paton
who was about the same height!
________________________
(iii) Mary Woodrow Paton
b: 1/5/1922 d: 4/4/1947
Mary, named after her mother, was born at 9.30am on May 1st 1922 at 172
Graeme Street in Calton, Glasgow. Her father, listed as a shoemaker (foreman), registered the birth on the 19th (GROS:1922/644/3/824).
As a young girl aged seven, Maisie, as she was more
colloquially known, suffered from pluracy and pneumonia, and was admitted to hospital for a radical operation. A small piece
of her liver was extracted from through her back, and the doctor who performed the surgery was apparently praised highly,
as a similar operation was being perfomed on King George V at the time, so the new procedure was headline news!
Throughout her life, Maisie was the girl who her mother treated with
kid gloves the most, as she was so fragile medically. When asked to describe her sister, her sister Joan West
(nee Paton) fondly remembers her "jolly, devil may care attitude". Her cousin Sheena Shaw
(nee Paton) also remembers Maisie as being a "beautiful girl with fair hair and blue eyes".
During the Second World War, Maisie worked as a fire warden in
Glasgow, and also took up work in the bakery industry, managing a baker's shop by 1945.
Maisie married 28 year old engineer John Reid, son of
motor mechanic William Reid and Annie Smith McMurray, on March 14th 1945 at the United Free
Church in Milngavie. At the time of the wedding, John had been living at 26 Clober Road, whilst Mary had been staying at 220
Stonyhurst Street in Mosneypark. The witnesses were P. Deighton from 7 Gray Drive in Bearsden, and an A. Paton, also living
at 220 Stonyhurst Road - this may have been her mother Anne. The wedding was registered on the 16th (GROS:1945/500/2/8),
and was recorded in Glasgow's Evening Times on March 15th 1945 (NB: microfilmed copy of paper held at Mitchell Library
is not 100% legible):
REID-PATON:- At Milngavie U. F.
Church, on March 14th, 1945, by the Rev. J. ?, Sub Lieutenant John Reid (R. N.), younger son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Reid, 26
Clober Road, Milngavie, to Mary Woodrow Paton, 2nd daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Paton, 220 Stonyhurst Street, Glasgow, N.,
...nville House.
Tragedy was to strike shortly after, however, when Maisie was diagnosed
as having a spot on her lung, which was soon discovered to be tuberculosis. Maisie was to spend many months in a sanitorium
in Lanark, where she would often be made to sleep outside, where it was believed that the clean air would be good for
her.
Tragically, the treatment was to fail. Maisie died at 1.00am on April
10th 1947 at her home of "Drumoyne" on the Clober Road, Milngavie. The cause had been pulmonary tuberculosis, as certified
by Dr. J. Park, and her distraught husband John registered her death on the 10th (GROS:1947/500/2/22). Maisie's death
was also noted in the Evening Times on April 11th 1947, page 11:
REID - At Drumoyne, Clober
Road, Milngavie, on 10th April 1947, Mary Woodrow (Maisie), beloved wife of John Reid and dearly loved daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. William Paton, 220 Stonyhurst Street, Possilpark - Funeral to Lambhill Cemetery to-morrow (Saturday) at 10.30am; friends
omitted and desirous to attend please meet cortege at Jeanfield gate at 1.5pm.
After the funeral, the following thank you
was recorded in the acknowledgements section of the Evening Times on Thursday, April 17th 1947, page 7:
REID - Mr. John Reid, Mr. and
Mrs. Wm. Reid, and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Paton and Family desire to thank the many friends for kind expressions of sympathy and
beautiful floral tributes and acknowledge with gratitude letters received in their sad bereavement, also the Rev. Cameron
Grant, family doctor, and district nurse.
(iv) Jessie McFarlane Paton
b: 25/2/1924 d: 1985 approx
|
|
| Jessie Paton in RAF uniform |
Jessie was born at 1.00pm on February 25th 1924, at her home of
16 Buddon Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow. Her father, a bootmaker (foreman), informed the registrar on the 14th (GROS:1924/644/1/314).
On July 1st 1943, Jessie married 43 year old theatrical producer
David Gerard Hughes, son of accountant Robert Hughes and Mary Paton (not related
to our line). At the time of the marriage, David was a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, and was resident at 362 Southborne
Grove, Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex, whilst Jessie was a baker's saleswoman, who was also doing her war service as a leading aircraftwoman
in the Woman's Auxiliary Air Force, and who was herself resident at 220 Stonyhurst Street in Glasgow. The minister at Possilpark
Church was the Reverend John Melrose, whilst the witnesses were Jessie's brother David Hepburn Paton
and her sister Joan Elizabeth Paton. The marriage was subsequently recorded in the Evening Times on
July 2nd 1943, page 7:
HUGHES-PATON:- At Possilpark Parish
Church, on 1st July, 1943, by Rev. J. Melrose, Flight Lieutenant David G. Hughes, Royal Air Force, of London, to Jessie McFarlane
(W.A.A.F.), third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Paton, 220 Stonyhurst Street, Possilpark.
The couple settled down after the war in Glasgow, where David continued
his career in the RAF, and where they raised two sons.
However, at some point after this, Jessie was widowed, and
was to later remarry to Dave Alford.
Jessie died in approximately 1985, in Southampton.
CHILDREN of JESSIE PATON and DAVID HUGHES:
{i} David Paton Hughes
b: 19XX
David was born at at 220 Stonyhurst Street, his grandparents house.
David married 29 year old telephonist Catherine Anderson Wightman at
Springburn North Hill Church in Glasgow. At the time of the wedding, David, working as a van driver, was living at 30
Old Lanark Road in Carluke, whilst Catherine was residing at 399 Springburn Road in Glasgow. The ceremony was performed by
Reverend W. Inglis Miller of Johnstone Church, Glasgow, and the witnesses were William Gray, of the Manse,
Ballingry in Fife, and Maureen A.Wightman, of 399 Springburn Road.
CHILDREN of DAVID HUGHES and CATHERINE WIGHTMAN:
Fiona MacFarlane Hughes
b: 19XX
Fiona was born in Lanark and by 1980 had moved to Southampton in England.
Fiona currently lives in Southampton, where she works as a medical lab assistant in microbiology
for the public health authority.
Carol Hughes
b: 19XX
Carol was born in Hythe, Southampton, England .
Carol attended university in Liverpool for three years, and therefater moved to London, where
she currently works at the University of London in the department of Epidemiology.
Andrew Hughes
b: 19XX
Andrew was born in Hythe, Southampton.
After leaving school Andrew joined the British Army, where he stayed for a few
years before leaving.
Andrew currently lives in Southampton.
{ii} William
John Gerard Hughes
b: 19XX
Further information on Mr. Hughes is withheld at his request
(23/9/05).
(v) Anne McGillivray Paton
b: 19XX
|
|
| Ann Cameron (nee Paton) with husband Allan at home in Glasgow, Jan 2005 |
Anne was born at 11 Malcolm Street in Camlachie, Glasgow. Her father,
this time listed as a boot repairer, registered the birth.
Anne worked as a clerkess, and married cinema chief projectionist Allan
Cameron, son of insurance agent James Cameron and Catherine Healy. Allan was living
at 82 Cumming Drive in Glasgow, whilst Anne was at 6 Everard Quadrant in the city. The marriage was performed according to
the rites of the Roman Catholic Church, at St Aloysius Church, by Father A. Gits. The witnesses were William Tuin
of 25 Alderman Place and Rebecca Walker of 1 Everard Place in the city.
Anne is still alive and well and living in Glasgow, Scotland. When Calum's
and Jamie's father first contacted her in June 2003, both she and her husband Allan had just returned from a cruise
of the Norwegian fjords!
CHILDREN of ANNE PATON and ALLAN CAMERON:
{a} Susan Elizabeth Cameron
b: 19XX
Susan was born at 43 Ledmore Drive, Glasgow, after which her father informed
the registrar.
Susan went on to marry a Welshman called Ian Lacy, a
lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy.
{b} Sheila Anne Cameron
b: 19XX
Sheila was born at the Maternity Hospital on Rottenrow, Glasgow, the
same hospital in which Calum was later born. At the time of her birth, her parents were living at 43 Ledmore Drive. Sheila's
birth was registered by her father.
Sheila took up a career working in the judiciary. She married Jeff
Dayton, and the couple currently have two children.
CHILDREN of SHEILA CAMERON and JEFF DAYTON:
{1} Bryan Dayton
b: 19??
Bryan currently works for the police in Manchester, England.
{2} Jacqueline Dayton
b: 19??
Jacqueline works as a prison chef.
{c} Allan Peter Cameron
b: 19XX
Allan was born at 43 Ledmore Drive, Glasgow. His father registered the
birth.
Today Allan is now Father Allan Cameron, a Roman Catholic
priest working in Ballornoch, Glasgow, where he has worked for some 17 years. At his investiture as a priest, in the
late 1980s, his cousin Sheena Shaw (nee Paton), who attended, recalls how the police closed off several streets
in Glasgow for his procession. Allan still works as a priest, and the following story appeared in the Sunday Mail
on March 16th 2003, illustrating the community work that as Father Cameron he is currently involved in:
CLERICS FIGHT THE LICENSEE'S PUB BID
CHURCHMEN have united to fight a notorious crime
baron over his plans to open a new pub.
Father Allan Cameron and Rev David Locke joined
forces to stop Tam `The Licensee' McGraw opening up in Barlanark, Glasgow, just yards from the site of his old Caravel bar
- the scene of stabbings, slashings and knee- cappings.
Locals failed in a bid to block planning permission
but now they hope to persuade licensing chiefs to deny permission to sell alcohol. Rev Locke, of Barlanark Greyfriars Church
of Scotland, said: "Our main objection is that the proposed public house is in close proximity to two schools - Barlanark
Primary and Sandaig Primary."
Fr Cameron, of St Jude's Church, said: "He is
proposing opening up right beside the Barlanark Family Learning Centre." The Caravel was demolished six years ago hours before
detectives investigating a double murder were due to take it apart looking for clues.
Underworld figures claimed that two gangland
enforcers, Joe "Bananas" Hanlon and Bobby Glover, had been lured there and were killed in front of members of the infamous
Thompson crime clan.
A police insider said: "We will object to the
granting of a licence."
(vi) William Hay Paton
b: 29/4/1927 d: 26/6/1994
William was born at 10pm on April 29th 1927, at his home of 11 Malcolm
Street in Glasgow. His father, a boot repairer at the time, informed the registrar on May 20th (GROS:1927/644/2/667).
William served a brief time in the army doing his national service, including
a stint in Bermuda. In August 1951, he decided to emigrate to New Zealand, making the journey from Southampton on
board the 'Atlantis', a vessel of the New Zealand Shipping Company Limited. The passenger manifest, held in the Board of Trade
records at the National Archives under BT26, describes his occupation as a telephone lineman.
On July 18th 1953, William married Liverpudlian Margaret
Jackson in Wellington. But within a short period of time, the couple elected to move back to Scotland. On March 17th
1855, the incoming Board of Trade passenger lists recorded William and Margaret's arrival at Southampton on board the 'Rangitiki',
a vessel of the New Zealand Shipping Company Limited. The manifest lists Margaret's date of birth as November 26th 1933, though
curiously lists her as being Scottish. William was still a telephone lineman, with Margaret a housewife, and their address
in Scotland to which they were travelling was 6 Everard Quadrant in Glasgow.
Back in Scotland, the couple started their family, with their daughter
Denise arriving first in August 1955. Possibly the return from Scotland was in some way influenced by Denise's birth, as Margaret
would have been a few months pregnant on her return journey. William initially took up work as a boat office engineer (1955),
then a telephone engineer (1959), and ultimately worked as a sales representative.
In 1978, William was the informant for his father's death. He died himself
after suffering a heart attack on June 26th 1994, a particularly tragic incident in that he had just celebrated his diamond
wedding anniversary at Loch Lomond. Despite the best efforts of Erskine Hospital in Bishopton, they were unable to save
him. The official listed cause of death was acute myocardial infarction, ischaemic heart disease and generalised arteriosclerosis.
His son, Alan, informed the Renfrew registrar on the 27th. At the time, Alan was living at 16 Kilbarchan
Road in Johnstone (GROS:1994/643/173). The Evening Times also recorded William's death on Tuesday, June 28th 1994, page 50:
PATON - Suddenly at Erskine Hospital,
on 26th June 1994, WILLIAM (Bill) PATON, husband of Margaret, and dear father of Denise and Alan. Funeral service at Woodside
Crematorium, Paisley, on Wednesday 29th June, at 1.30pm, to which all friends are invited. No flowers please. Donations to
Erskine Hospital.
CHILDREN of WILLIAM PATON and MARGARET
JACKSON:
{a} Denise
Margaret Paton
b: 14/8/1955 d: 2003
Denise was born on August 14th 1955
at 6.03am, at 221 Killearn Street, Campsie, Glasgow. At the time of her birth, her father, who informed the registrar, was
a boat office engineer (GROS:1955/475/1110).
Denise married David Marshall Wright,
son of slater John Marshall Wright and Susan Catherine Brolly. David was at the time of
the wedding working as an engineer fitter, residing at 26 Falcon Road, Johnstone. Denise was herself living at 32 Ettrick
Terrace in Johnstone, and was described as a clerkess. On the wedding certificate, she is curiously listed as having
been born in Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire - Lennoxtown is on the edge of Glasgow, so this no doubt reflects a boundary change
of some sort. The wedding was conducted by the Reverend Charles R. Jones at St Paul's Church in Johnstone, and the witnesses
were Mark Wright, of 26 Falcoln Road, Johnstone, and Elaine Sandra Farley, of 7 Colton Road in Liverpool, England. The marriage
was registered in Johnstone.
Tragically, Denise developed multiple sclerosis, and passed away in 2003.
In an e-mail to Calum's and Jamie's father in April 2004, Denise's widow David described his feelings
for her:
"I loved her to bits and will miss her for the rest of my life, she
was that type of woman".
{b} Alan
James Clarke Paton
b: 19XX
Alan was born on in 221 Killearn Street, Milton/Campsie,
Glasgow. His father, at that time a telephone engineer, and registered the birth .
Alan married 26 year old swimming pool attendant Eileen Ann O'
Hare, daughter of engineer/turner John O' Hare and Margaret Mary Gannon. Eileen
was at the time of the wedding living in "Maryfield", Ludovic Square, Johnstone. The wedding was performed in the registry
office in Johnstone, with the registrar Ray Winston presiding, and the witnesses were James J. M. Waddell, from 8 Holmshill
Place in Cambusland, Glasgow, and Shirley Adam, from 8 Wilson Avenue in Linwood.
CHILD of ALAN PATON and EILEEN O' HARE:
{1} Frazer Paton
b: 19XX
Frazer was born at the Maternity Hospital
in Paisley, PA2 9PL. At the time of the wedding, his parents were listed as living in Johnstone, and his mother listed as
a leisure centre supervisor, and his father an industrial engineer. Frazer's mother registered the birth.
(vii) John Brownlie Paton
b: 29/10/1929 d: 14/10/1978
John was born at 0.30am on October 29th 1929, at 232 Wilkerran Street
(?), Possilpark, Glasgow. His father, a boot repairer (foreman), informed the registrar on November 11th (GROS:1929/644/7/604).
In Renfield Street Church, Glasgow, on June 26th 1951, John married Janet
Dobie Dysart, a 22 year old grocery saleswoman, and daughter of enginefiller Thomas Gibson Dysart
and Mary Dobie (formerly married as Mary Kennedy). At the time, John was a 21 year old joiner
and a leading aircraftman in the Royal Air Force, living at 6 Everard Quadrant in Blythswood, Glasgow, whilst Janet lived
at 305 Edgeguard Road in the city. The minister was the Reverend Leslie P. Hope and the witnesses were Matilda Iris
Chesney, from 117 Everard Drive, Glasgow, and William Hay Paton, from 6 Everard Quadrant. The marriage
was registered on the 29th (GROS:1951/644/8/692).
Shortly after, on September 22nd 1953, John and Janet emigrated
to New Zealand, with their daughter Janis, on a "ten pound pommy ticket". They sailed on the 'Captain Cook', a vessel of the
New Zealand Shipping Company Ltd, with John listed as a joiner. His address in Scotland prior to sailing was recorded as 29
Oakbank Terrace, Glasgow. Upon reaching New Zealand, John most likely stayed with his brother William
initially, who had arrived in the country two years earlier, and took up work as a carpenter and ended up building many
homes in Wellington. Ironically, John's brother William, having spearheaded the Patons' migration to New Zealand, in fact
returned to Scotland permanently in May 1955.
John died in New Zealand four days prior to his own father's death in
October 1978. According to his sister Joan, he had been playing 36 holes of golf earlier in the day and had seemed in fine
form. But in the middle of the night, he suddenly died in his home. The Evening Times in Glasgow recorded the event immediately
after John's father's own death notice in the same edition, on Friday October 20th 1978, page 38:
PATON - Suddenly
at his home Plimmerton, New Zealand, on 14th October 1978, JOHN PATON, beloved son of the late William and Mary Paton, 7 Drumchapel
Road, Glasgow, G15.
John had two children, Janis and John,
who still live in New Zealand.
CHILDREN of JOHN PATON and JANET DYSART:
{a} Janis Dysart Paton
b: 19XX
Janis was born in Glasgow. On September 22nd 1953 she emigrated with
her parents to New Zealand on board the 'Captain Cook', a vessel of the New Zealand Shipping Company Limited. Her previous
address in Glasgow was listed as 29 Oakbank Terrace.
Janis is today married to Vaughn, and has two children
of her own. She currently resides in Plimmerton, New Zealand, near Wellington.
CHILDREN of JANICE
PATON and VAUGHN ????:
{1} Stewart
????
b: 19??
{2} Craig
????
b: 19??
{b} John
Paton
b: after 1952
Not much is known about John. He was born and raised in New Zealand,
but left at some point to set up a business in South Africa. After a few years, he left South Africa again, and it is assumed
he is again back in New Zealand.
______________________
(3) John Brownlie Paton
b: 29/10/1898 d: 15/11/1945
John was Calum's and Jamie's great great uncle.
The existence of John first came to light in April 2003, after a conversation
with Calum's and Jamie's second cousin twice removed, Margaret Jane Stewart, nee Paton.
According to Margaret, her father used to talk about a cousin nicknamed "Brussels Johnny".
John was born in Brussels, Belgium, on October 29th 1898, with
his birth registered in the city on November 7th, and whilst there was raised at several addresses in the city, from
Rue Marche Aux Herbes to Rue de Laeken. It is known that his elder sister Annie was fluent in French and that she regarded
this as a first language, but it is not known how much French John had, though his brother William only spoke English.
According to his niece Joan West (nee Paton), John,
along with his brothers and sister, was educated partly in the Highland town of Inverness. This has been confirmed to a degree
in that the admissions register for Inverness High School shows that John joined class Std I on May 21st
1907, transferring to Std II on August 12th 1908. When John joined the school in May 1907, his parent or guardian was
noted as being David H. Paton, resident at 8 View Place. John was noted as having had previous schooling in
Brussels, although the school itself where this may have happened is not listed. On August 23rd 1908 the register also shows,
through the entry for John's brother Charlie, that the family then moved south to Glasgow. Joan also
recalls that her uncle John had quite a bad lung condition which afflicted him in his youth. And according to John's grandson, Calum Scott, John was also a member of the boy
scouts, but it is not yet known whether this was in Scotland or in Belgium.
|
|
| John Paton in approximately 1916 or 1917, taken when he was a POW in Germany. |
By October 1911, the family had once more relocated to Brussels, where
John presumably continued his education whilst perhaps also spending time helping his father out in the shoe shops.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, John stayed in Brussels with his mother, father, brother
Charles and sister Annie. His father remained in hiding for two years, and it is assumed
that his family were in hiding also. But in 1916 disaster hit the family, when John's father David died whilst in hiding.
Things soon worsened for John himself. His elder brother William had already escaped Belgium to fight with the British
Army, but unlike his wee brother Charles, who was only 12, John was at this point old enough to potentially be of military
service to the allies. He was therefore arrested and taken in November to Berlin's Stadtvogtei prison, and
on December 1st was then transferred to Ruhleben civilian prisoner of war camp, a converted race course near Spandau,
just outside of the city.
Having arrived in Ruhleben camp so late in the war, John's first experience
of the camp may not have been one of being welcomed with open arms. The inmates were deeply suspicious of anyone with even
the slightest possible sympathy with the Germans, and having survived in German controlled Brussels for two years into the
war, many inmates may have wondered why he was interned so late. In J. Davidson Ketchum's book "Ruhleben - A Prison Camp Society",
the following anonymous recollection by a prisoner years after the war may have in fact been written about John, as he certainly
fits the profile (p.121):
The segregated pro-Germans could be ignored,
but it was a different matter for anyone in the British barracks who spoke with an accent, had been long in Germany, or otherwise
lacked a clean bill of health. A young man brought up in Belgium and not interned until 1916 - in itself cause for suspicion
- writes: "My first impression was one of aggressiveness towards me. I was perhaps rather un-English, but I did not find it
easy to speak to anyone" (L116). This was not Ruhleben's typical attitude to newcomers.
As a civilian prisoner of war, life was relatively easy for John, according
to Joan, being only a young lad who had barely turned into a man. When the Germans discovered his serious lung condition,
they placed him in a hospital and gave him such excellent medical attention that his condition was apparently cured. According
to Cambridge University academic Matthew Stibbe, John would either have been treated in the camp's rudimentary sick bay, the
Lanzaret, but more likely would have visited the Sanitorium of Dr. Weiler in Charlottenburg, Berlin. He may have
even been treated in Brussels prior to his transfer to Berlin.
Being interred in Ruhleben, John would fortunately have had some access
to the outside world via the office of the American Ambassador, charged with the upkeep of British citizens in the absence
of a British diplomatic presence in Germany, and would have been able to send and receive packages to his family though
the American embassy, as the USA was a neutral party in the First World War until 1918.
|
|
| Cross-section drawing of one of the barracks at Ruhleben, which were former stables |
Calum Scott, John's grandson, supplied a postcard in January
2005 depicting John, which he believed to have been taken between 1914 and 1918 on the Continent. Not two weeks later, the
same postcard was also discovered to be held by another of John's grandchildren, Sheila Trotter, nee Sayward.
On the back of both of the postcards, which John sent to Jeannie McGregor in Glasgow, and to Mrs
MacFarlane in Inverness (presumed to be his grandmother Ann MacFarlane, nee MacGillivray) John has signed it as "J. B. Paton, Bar 4", i.e. "Barracke 4", the barrack he was in at Ruhleben. But crucially,
on Sheila's card, there is also a card stamped with a postmark with the words "Ruhleben Freigegeben". The postcard is therefore
confirmed as depicting John as a prisoner of war. What is interesting is that the card addressed to Jeannie McGregor, shows
that he already knew Jeannie, who was to become his wife a few years later. At this point, Jeannie was living at 45 William
Street, in Greenhead, Glasgow, just beside the factory of the shoe firm for which John's brother and father worked, R. &
J. Dicks. The other card, to Mrs MacFarlane, was addressed to 8 View Place in Inverness, the same address to which the postcard
of Charles Paton was posted in 1907. What is noticeable on both cards is the complete lack of any message to the relatives
John was writing to, perhaps indicating that the main purpose of these cards was to show his loved ones that he was alive,
safe and well, despite his imprisonment in Germany.
With John inside the camp at Ruhleben, it fell to his family to
try and support him from the outside world. With his mother in financial difficulties in Brussels due to the rapidly increasing
exchange rate between the Belgian franc and the English pound, it fell to John's relatives in Britain to try and support him.
Whilst he may have received aid from his family in Glasgow, Perth and Inverness, it is known for a fact that he received
parcels from his uncle James Paton (see Paton - Part Two) in London, manager of the Singer sewing machine factory there. The following letter on August 25th 1917,
from James to the secretary for the Prisoners of War Department in the Foreign Office at 10 Downing Street, was written as
an addendum to a letter asking the British government to send a message to John's mother in Brussels on James' behalf:
While writing may I trouble you concerning another matter. My nephew, Mr David Paton's son Johnnie
is a prisoner at Ruhleben, Germany. When
of age he was taken away and is there now. I send him occasional parcels through the Dept at Thurlo Place, So. Kensington.
Could they, or would you be able to send him a little money as well. I feel from a letter he has sent , that he is straitened
in this way somewhat. I shall take it as a favour if you will be good enough to let me hear from you on this point. With thanks,
Yours faithfully
James Paton
John would remain a prisoner of war until the Germans were defeated in
1918, after which he was released and returned to Scotland.
Joan's recollection is that her uncle John took it badly that
his father had died in Brussels and that his mother, Jessie, had allowed him to be taken away to Ruhleben (in truth,
she most likely had no option). When he returned to Scotland, he barely
spoke with her, and had very little to do with her at all, despite the fact that he appears to have lived with her up until
the point where he got married. (The Glasgow electoral registers in the Mitchell Library clearly show that in 1924 and 1925,
John was resident at 31 Garvald Street in Shettleston [2nd ward], Glasgow, along with his mother.) Whenever Jessie wrote to
John, he apparently would return her letters unopened.
|
|
| John Paton's picture on a travel document to Germany, 1921 |
After John returned to Scotland, he took up work as a travelling salesman,
which ironically would see him returning back to the Continent. Another picture held by Calum Scott appears to be
a passport photograph of John, with "Foreign Office" stamped across the front. What is so interesting about the picture
is that on the back are words printed in German, which appears to be a point of entry stamp for an entry into Germany
on November 15th 1921. So it would seem that John counted a few Germans amongst his clientelle! According to Joan, John drove
around Europe in an Alvis car, selling his wares as he moved around. It is not known what John was selling on his travels
overseas, but he certainly had stopped this as a career by 1924.
Back in Scotland, on July 4th 1924, John married
25 year old Jeannie Grant McGregor, daughter of a sheet metal worker called McGregor, and Robina
Milne, whom he had known for several years. The wedding took place at St. Luke's Parish Church
in Calton, Glasgow, after banns according to the established Church of Scotland. At the time of the wedding, both
John and Jeanie were listed as living at 45 William Street, Jeanie's family home. 25 year old John was now listed as being
a tramcar conductor, whilst Jeanie was a tobacco warehouse worker. The witnesses to the wedding were Williamina Forbes
McGregor of 45 William Street, and Calum's and Jamie's great grandfather, Charles Paton, resident
at 31 Garvald Street (GROS:1924/644/03/310).
From the Glasgow Electoral Registers for Bridgeton, it is known that
John and his new wife Jeanie continued to live at the tenement at 45 William Street, although the street was in fact renamed
as Templeton Street in 1926. The couple are to be found here from 1925 until 1933. (In 1925 John was in fact listed both at
45 William Street and at 31 Garvald Street).
|
|
| John, his wife Jeannie, and daughter Irene - approx 1939, Glasgow. |
John and Jeannie went on to have four daughters, Morag,
Sheila, Irene and Sheena. Tragically, their second daughter, Sheila,
died when only seven months old. John's grand daughter Sheila Trotter (nee Saywood) believes
that she was named her deceased aunt. This also almost certainly explains the reason for the naming of John's brother
Charles' daughter, Sheila Paton (now Cobby), the name not having been known
in the family prior to this generation.
John's grand niece, Margaret Jane Stewart (nee Paton),
remembers that John (known to her as Johnny), used to take his family to the seaside at Broughty Ferry. These
holidays were shared by John's first cousin, James Paton (see the Paton - Part Two page), and his family (which included Margaret as James' second eldest daughter). James Paton, who
lived in Perth, also regularly took his family to see John and Jeannie in Glasgow, and Margaret accompanied him on these
visits, and remembers John well.
John initially worked in Glasgow as a tram car conductor, and later
took up work as a chauffeur, although it is not yet known for who it was that he worked. During the Second World War, according
to his grandson Calum, John was told that he was too old to join the regular army, and ended up working in the Home
Guard. Calum's mother Irene Scott (nee Paton), who apparently idolised her father, told
her son that she credited John's membership of the Home Guard as a contributing factor to his early untimely death,
with the hours that he did outside at night, in all kinds of weather. John's youngest daughter Sheena is not so sure about
this, as for most of her childhood, she remembers that her father was in hospital at Bridge of Earn in Perthshire, where he
was being treated for tuberculosis.
|
|
| John Paton, in the 1940s, Glasgow. |
Because of John's tuberculosis, Sheena recalls how her mother and maternal
grandmother would never eat the eggs that they received as part of their food rations, and would instead save them for their
visits to John at Bridge of Earn Hospital, believing that the eggs would do him more good than them.
Sadly, John eventually died on November 15th 1945 at 12.30pm, at
Ruchill Hospital in Glasgow. The cause was pulmonary tuberculosis, as certified by Dr. R. A. McCluskie. At the time of John's
death, his home address was listed as 167 Greenhead Street in Glasgow. His brother William, living at 220
Stonyhurst Street, informed the Glasgow registrar of John's death on November 16th (GROS:1945/644/11/660).
John's death was also recorded in Glasgow's Evening Times on Friday, November 16th, on page 7:
PATON - At a hospital in Glasgow,
on 15th November 1945, John B. Paton, beloved husband of Jean McGregor, 167 Greenhead Street, S. E. - No flowers or letters,
please (by request).
Although John was registered as dying of tuberculosis, his daughter Sheena
was raised to believe a different story. It would seem that just prior to his death, John was transferred from his hospital
in Bridge of Earn to Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow, in an ambulance. On the way down, he appears to have caught pneumonia, and
it is this that his family believe was the real cause of his death.
In the aftermath of John's death, his brother Charles,
Calum's and Jamie's great grandfather, continued to visit Jeannie and her family in Scotland each time that they went over
for their annual holiday from Northern Ireland. John's widow, Jeannie, eventually passed away herself at 8.50am on August
4th 1959 in the Royal Infirmary in Aberdeen. Her usual residence at that time was 167 Greenhead Street in Glasgow. John's
niece, Joan West, recalls that Jeannie may have been to Aberdeen to visit her daughter Sheena at the time. The cause of Jeannie's
death was cerebral thrombosis and aspiration pneumonia, as certified by Dr. Scott Henderson. The informant to the Aberdeen
registrar was her daughter Irene, who was normally resident at 5 Greenlodge Terrace (GROS:1959/168/1/1220).
|
|
| John Paton with his wife Jeannie and eldest daughter Morag, 1933 |
CHILDREN of JOHN PATON and JEANIE McGREGOR:
(i) Morag Robina Milne Paton
b: 4/6/1925 d: 18/4/2000
|
|
| Morag Paton with her mum, Jeanie Paton (nee McGregor), Broughty Ferry, 1929 |
Morag was born at 11.05am on June 4th 1925 at 45 William Street, Greenhead,
Calton, Glasgow. Her father, a tramcar conductor at the time, registered her birth in Calton, Glasgow, on the 25th (GROS:1925/644/3/931).
As a child, Morag went on holidays with her parents and her sister Sheena
to Broughty Ferry, and on at least one occasion, in 1929, she holidayed with her second cousins Margaret Paton
and Elizabeth Paton, and their parents, James Paton and Helen Patterson Paton
(nee Mills).
On June 16th 1947, Morag, at this stage a 24 year old post office clerk, married
25 year old automobile association clerk Ernest Isaac Saywood, son of automobile association clerk Charles
Saywood and Jessie Edmondson. At the time of the wedding, which took place at St Luke's Church of
Scotland in Glasgow, Morag was resident at 167 Greenhead Street, whilst Ernie was living at 20 Kingsheath Avenue in the city.
The minister was the Reverend Alexander Mackenzie, and the witnesses were James Whyte, resident at 22 Darnley
Head in Glasgow, and Morag's sister, Irene Williamina Paton, resident at 167 Greenhead Street. The wedding
was registered in Bridgeton on the 17th (GROS:644/2/200).
After her wedding, Morag went on to have a daughter, Sheila,
and worked for a living at some stage after that as a bank teller.
Morag eventually passed away on April 18th 2000 at 2.50am at Mearnskirk
House, Newton Mearns, G77 5RZ. Her usual residence at this stage was 35 East Kilbride Road in Rutherglen, Glasgow, where she
lived as a widow. The cause of her death was general debility, cerebrovascular disease and non insulin diabetes, as certified
by Dr. Khoda Buksh. Morag's daughter Sheila, residieng at 12 St. Catherine's Road in Giffnock, registered
her mother's death on the 18th (GROS:2000/650/179).
CHILDREN of MORAG PATON and ERNEST SAYWOOD:
(a) Sheila Jane Saywood
b: 19XX
|
|
| Sheila's wedding to George Trotter |
Sheila was born at 1014 Great Western Road, Glasgow, although the
family's usual address was 130 Kingsbridge Drive, Glasgow. Sheila's father informed the registrar.
Sheila married press telegraphist George Gordon Hamilton Trotter,
son of antique dealer John Hilton Hamilton Trotter and Margaret Greta Girvan McKinlay. The
ceremony took place at St Oswald's Episcopal Church in Glasgow, with the reverend being an English vicar from Durham called
L. J. Green, and the witnesses being Allan McDonald Reader from 19 Summerton Road in Glasgow,
and Doreen McKinlay of 163 Killin Street in the city. At the time of the wedding, Sheila was resident at
35 East Kilbride Road, Burnside, Rutherglen, whilst George lived at 40 Clynder Street, Glasgow. The marriage was registered
in Glasgow.
The couple currently have two sons and four grandchildren.
CHILDREN of SHEILA SAYWOOD and GEORGE TROTTER:
{1} Gary Gordon Trotter
b: 19XX
|
|
| Gary Gordon Trotter, aged 2 - Glasgow, 1977 |
Gary was born at the Queen Mother's Hospital in Glasgow. His father,
at that time resident at 6 Clifton Road in Giffnock, informed the Giffnock registrar.
At some stage after finishing school, Gary took up work as leisure and
recreation assistant.
Gary married jewellery assistant Gail Caldow Tallintire.
The civil ceremony took place at the Eastwood and Mearns Registration Office, and was performed by M. A. McQuade, with the
witnesses being Gary's brother Grant Trotter, resident at 12 St. Catherine's Road, Giffnock, and Angela
Sarah Bonds, of 16d Burnwood Court, Buchanan Drive, Newton Mearns. At the time of the wedding, Gail was living at
26 Kyle Drive in Giffnock, whilst Gary was at the same address as his brother. The wedding was registered on the same day.
The couple now live in Glasgow wth their four children.
CHILDREN of GARY TROTTER and GAIL TALLINTIRE:
{a} Alistair James Trotter
b: 19XX
Alistair was born at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow. His
mother, resident at 33 Barrmill Road, informed the registrar.
{b} Stuart Gordon Trotter
b: 19XX
Stuart was born at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow. His
father, still resident at 33 Barrmill Road in Glasgow, informed the registrar.
{c} Calum Alexander Trotter
b: 20XX
Calum was born at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow.
{d} Craig Iain Trotter
b: 20XX
Craig was born in Glasgow.
{2} Grant Trotter
b: 19XX
Grant was born in the Queen Mother's Hospital in Glasgow. At the time,
the family were still living at 6 Clifton Road in Giffnock.
(ii) Sheila MacFarlane Paton
b: June 1931 d: 12/12/1931
Sheila was born in June 1931, and spent her short life at the family
home of 45 Templeton Street. At the age of 5 months she developed gastro-entiritis which seven weeks later led to a "bilateral
acute suppurative otitis", which was to tragically lead to her death on December 12th, at 3.15am in the Children's Hospital. Her
father informed the registrar on the same day in the Anderston district of Glasgow (GROS:1931/644/11/882).
In Sheila's memory, her uncle Charles named his daughter Sheila, and
her sister Morag named her daughter Sheila as well.
(iii) Irene Williamina McGregor Paton
b: 14/5/1933
|
|
| Irene with her father John - approx 1939, Glasgow |
Irene was born at 7.30am on May 14th 1933, at the Maternity Hopital in
Glasgow. Her father, a chauffeur at this point resident at 45 Templeton Street in Glasgow, registered her birth on the 26th
for some bizarre reason with both the Calton and St. Rollox registrars in the city (GROS:1933/644/3/473-Calton;
GROS:1933/644/8/1345-St. Rollox).
At the age of twelve, Irene and her famaily wouldundoubtedly have
been shocked at the sudden death of her father, John, of tuberculosis. According to Irene's son Calum, Irene
idolised her father, and no doubt his passing away at such a young age hit her hard.
On July 12th 1956, Irene married 26 year old jouneyman electrician James
Scott, son of coachbuilder Matthew Scott and Catherine Blackadder. The wedding
took place at St. Luke's Church of Scotland in Glasgow, performed by the Reverend Alexander Mackenzie and witnessed by Thomas
Weir of 14 St. Mungo Street in the city, and Irene's sister Sheena Paton, resident at 167 Greenhead
Street. At the time of the wedding Irene was a typist, living at 167 Greenhead Street, whilst James was living at 17 Fountainwell
Street in the city. It is known that as well as being a typist, Irene was also a secretary
of Moncrieff Parish Church in Glasgow, which she did for several years. Her marriage to James was registered on
the 13th.
In 1963, Irene gave birth to her son, Calum John Scott. At that stage, both
she and James were living at 5 Greenlodge Terrace in Glasgow.
|
|
| Irene Paton's husband, James Scott |
On August 9th 1982, Irene's husband James passed away at the age of 52,
the cause being myocardial infarction. At that time, Irene was living at 30 Alison Lea in East Kilbride, and her son, Calum,
who was also living in the same house, registered his father's death on the 10th (GROS:1982/575/372).
Irene finally passed away herself at 9.27am on September 9th 1992,
at the early age of 59. The cause was bronchopneumonia and widespread oesophageal carcinoma, as certified by Dr. J. McKeown. Just prior
to her death, Irene had been living at 30 Alison Lea in East Kilbride. Her son Calum, also resident
at 30 Alison Lea, registered her death in East Kilbride on the 29th.
CHILDREN of IRENE PATON and JAMES SCOTT:
(a) Calum John Scott
b: 19XX
Calum was born the Redlands Hospital in Glasgow, with the family home
being at 5 Greenlodge Terrace in the city. His father informed the registrar.
|
|
| Calum Scott at his graduation, approx 1985 |
Calum, a chartered accountant, married divorcee and student
called Marie Kathleen Murray. At the time of the wedding, which took place at Callander registry office in
Perthshire, Marie was living at the same address as Calum. The presiding registrar was Margaret McKenzie,
and the witnesses were A. S. Thomas, of 12 Hull Road in Preston, Lancashire, England, and A. C. Lang,
of 21 Dryburn Park in Durham, England.
Calum and Marie have two children, and currently live in Lancashire,
England.
CHILDREN of CALUM SCOTT and MARIE MURRAY:
{1} Jamie Scott
b: 19XX
Jamie was born in Lancashire, England.
{2}
Adam Scott
b: 19XX
Adam was born in Lancashire, England.
{3} Kaya Scott
b: 20XX
Kaya was born in Lancashire, England.
(iv) Sheena McGregor Paton
b:
19XX
|
|
| Sheena on a Mediteranean cruise in 2004 |
Sheena was born at 167 Greenhead Street, Glasgow. Her father, working
as a chauffeur at the time, registered her birth in Bridgeton.
Sheena married engineer Douglas Shaw, and the couple went on to have two children, Alison
and Douglas in the early sixties.
At one point after this, Sheena and Douglas moved to Houston in Texas,
USA, in order that Douglas could take up a short term contract as an engineer. They ended up there for five years, but
ultimately returned in order that they could be close to their family again.
Douglas tragically died at a young age in approximately 1987, and Sheena
now lives in Peterborough with her daughter.
CHILDREN of SHEENA PATON and DOUGLAS SHAW:
(a) Alison Shaw
b: 19XX
|
|
| Alison and Douglas in 1992 |
Alison is single, although has a long term partner, and lives in Peterborough.
(b) Douglas Shaw
b: 19XX
Douglas is married, and lives in England.
(4) Charles
Paton
b: 24/5/1904 d: 30/9/1987
Calum's and Jamie's great grandfather - see below.
Charles Paton
24/5/1905 - 30/9/1987
Charles was Calum's and Jamie's great grandfather.
|
|
| Charles Paton in Brussels, Belgium, from a postcard dated May 10th 1907 |
Initially there was some confusion as to Charles' birth
date. Because of the archaic record system in Brussels, I was unable to view or obtain a copy of his birth certificate
on a visit to the city's municipal archives in 2004, due to a one hundred year closure rule. According to his death certificate,
Charles' birth date was May 24th 1904. However, in the Inverness High School admissions register, Charles birth date
was listed as May 24th 1905, a year later. The death entry had an incorrect birth location ascribed to him, stating that he
was born in Inverness, rather than Brussels. It has now become apparent that the date was also in error, as
at Charles marriage in September 1934 he was listed as being 29 years of age - making his birth year 1905.
Charles was therefore born during the reign of the British
king Edward VII, on May 24th 1905 in Brussels, Belgium, where his father was working as the manager of three shoe shops
for the Glasgow based company R. and J. Dick Ltd. Charles would undoubtedly have visited the shops frequently with his
mother, brother and sister in his early youth.
Until 1907, Charles, more colloquially known as
Charlie, appears to have stayed in Brussels with his entire family. But in 1907, his mother moved with
the family back to her father's house of 8 View Place, Inverness, where they stayed for a few years, whilst his father
remained to manage the shops in Belgium. It seems that Charles briefly stayed with his father before also returning to Scotland.
Evidence backing this up comes from a postcard
written by Charles' father David on May 10th 1907, to his daughter Annie, at that time staying at 8 View Place,
Inverness. On the postcard, he wrote:
10/5/07
Cher Annie -
I only got the photos of Charlie today. I am longing
to get a long letter from you. Love to all,
Papa
PS: I am sending C to mother.
|
|
| The former Inverness High School - now Crown Primary School |
Shortly after sending this postcard, David seems to have also made
his way to Scotland, with Charlie in tow. The admissions register for Inverness High School shows that David's
son John joined class Std I on May 21st 1907, transferring to Std II on August 12th 1908. When
John joined the school in May 1907, his parent or guardian was noted as being David H. Paton, resident at 8 View Place. Shortly
after this, we know that David certainly did return to Brussels, as on July 31st 1907, he was again listed as living
alone in the Brussels census, having moved from Koekelberg to new premises on the Rue d' Artois.
Charlie spent a couple of years living at home in his grandfather's large house at 8 View Place before he himself started
at Inverness High School on April 21st 1909. It appears that although his brother John was also in attendance at this school,
his other brother William and sister Annie were not.
|
|
| 8 View Place, Inverness, home to Charlie between 1907 and 1910 |
On August 23rd 1910 the register tells us that Charlie had left Inverness High School, having "gone to Glasgow".
Why the family uprooted at this point and moved south is unclear, but they presumably stayed with one of David's siblings
in the city, his parents by now being deceased. Hopefully the 1911 census will shed some light on this when it is released
in a few years time!
By
October 1911, the family had once more relocated to Belgium. The Belgian authorities recorded on October 10th that Jessie and
the children had moved to the St Gilles commune. It can only be assumed that Charlie continued his early education
in Brussels, either at a school or with a private tutor.
However, upon the advent of the First World War,
everything was to change dramatically. On the first day of the war, the Germans invaded Belgium. Instead of retreating back
to Scotland to safety, Charlie's father David opted to remain in the Belgian capital to keep an eye on his company's
property. After initially trying to maintain an everyday lifestyle in the occupied country, David was forced into hiding
after refusing to hand over the company books to the occupying power.
In March 1916, Charlie's life was turned further upside
down after the sudden and tragic death of his father in the city (see above). Things worsened soon after, when the Germans
arrested his brother Johnnie as a civilian POW and sent him to Germany, his only crime being that he was
now of fighting age.
With John arrested, Charlie, his mother Jessie, and his sister Annie
were unable to leave Belgium, and were forced to live in Brussels at 100 Rue d' Espagne for the remainder of the war. Times
were hard for the family, with Charles' mum having to constantly beg for money to be sent over from R. & J. Dick, Ltd.,
to support her and her two remaining children. We know that despite the difficulty, they were in good form throughout, as
evident from a letter Charlie's mother sent to his Uncle James on July 9th 1917 (NA:FO383/259/222768):
The Netherland
Legation (British Section) at Brussels
present their compliments to His Britannic Majesty’s Minister at the Hague
and on behalf of Mrs J. Paton, a British subject residing 100 rue d’Espagne, Brussels, have the honor to beg Sir Walter
Townley, if possible, to communicate the following message to her brother Mr. James Paton, Singer Works 42 St. Paul’s
Churchyard, London E.C.:-
“Dear
Jim, As things here would have become impossible for us, I should like to know what you would advise me to do. Matters concerning
the Firm here have been decided & an indemnity of three months given. Viz until the
15th Sept. 1917 when the 75 francs I have been receiving since the
16th March 1915 will cease. Then of course I shall be entirely without means. Myself & the two children
who are still with me. The small sum left after the exceptionally heavy expense of poor David’s illness & death
is gone & had I means I should be allowed only to touch a very small sum monthly. The cost of living here at the present
moment is 10 times (and in some cases 20 times) more than in 1914 so you can well imagine my extreme anxiety in case we will
be as we have been. Over the winter in such case I shall be in a bad way. Kindly write to the firms and explain as I could
not explain myself properly from here. I shall leave it to your good judgement as to what you will say & arrange for me
as I know you will do everything in my interest. Kind regards to every one. We three are pretty well, hoping this will find
you all the same. Your loving sister J. Paton”
Brussels,
July 9th 1917.
Not
wishing to leave the widow of a trusted colleague high and dry in Brussels with no means to live on, the company agreed to
give Charlie's mother a weekly allowance of three pounds, paid to her through the British Relief Fund. But by May 1918, another
letter from Jessie to the Netherlands Legation in Brussels implored them to ask R. and J. Dick Ltd for an increase in her
allowance, as inflation had decreased the value of the weekly three pounds by two thirds. This letter also indicates the decline
in Charlie's health due to the harsh conditons in Brussels at that time:
Mr.
de Kattendycke,
I
hope that you will forgive the liberty I take in writing to you, but the expense of living here at the present moment is impossible.
The £3 which the firm of R. and J. Dick allow me is really not enough for food without speaking of other expenses.
I
am entirely depending on what the firm sends me, having no other means whatever. My boy of thirteen is ill through nothing
but privation and I can see things getting worse every day. I have no idea what arrangements will be made with the firm after
the war, but in the meantime we must live and at the rate things are, £3 is just equal to £1, therefore what I receive is
not enough.
I
should certainly not trouble you if there were any other way of doing, and believe me I appreciate and am very much obliged
for the kindnesses you have already done for me.
Hoping
to hear from you as soon as possible, I remain
Yours
truly,
Mrs.
D. H. Paton
|
|
| Charles Paton (right) outside wireless shop in Belfast, 1940s |
Charlie finally left Brussels with his mother
and sister, and possibly his brother John, in October 1918, reaching Scotland on the 26th. Back in Glasgow, it is
believed that the family settled in the same tenement block as Charlie's aunt, Margaret Robertson Paton,
at 100 Cumberland Street, in the south side district of the Gorbals.
By 1919, when Charlie's father's will was confirmed,
his mother Jessie was listed as living at 18 Aitken Street in Dennistoun, and Charlie was undoubtedly living with her still
at this point. But in 1924, Charlie was listed in the Glasgow marriage register as living at 31 Garvard Street, Glasgow,
just off the Dalmarnock Road in Bridgeton. He was recorded as one of the witnesses at his brother John's wedding in
Calton, Glasgow, on July 4th 1924 (GROS:1924/644/03/310).
On June 21st 1925, Charlie's niece, Joan
Paton (see above), arrived at his mother's house to see her grandmother, Jessie Paton, to show off a new
dress that her own mother had given her for her birthday. She arrived at the house, and remembers that as well as her grandmother
being present, her uncle Charlie and aunt Annie were also in attendance. Jessie gave her a piece of shortbread,
which Joan did not want, but in order not to let her grandmother know that, she tried to hide it in her bag, only to have
Charlie stop her and say, "If you don't want that, I'll have it", after which he removed it from her! It was a trait that
Charlie would pass on to his future son Colin, and future grandson Chris!
Charlie married Jane Currie, more familiarly known as 'Jean',
on the 28th September 1934 in Chalmers Parish Church of Scotland, on Charlotte Street, in Rutherglen district. The church
no longer exists, it was closed in the 1970s. Jane' sister Vicky, and a friend, James Glen Mason,
were the witnesses (GROS:1934/654/215). In his wedding certificate,
Charlie was listed as working as a wireless salesman, and according to his daughter Sheila, he in fact
worked for Clydesdale Electrical.
In 1936, just three years prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, Charlie and Jean moved over to Belfast,
Northern Ireland, settling at 40 Whitewell Crescent in the far north of the city. The reason for the move, in family lore,
was that neither Charlie nor Jean wanted their kids to grow up in an area where they could be conscripted into the armed forces
- in Northern Ireland at that point the volunteer rate was so high that conscription was never formally introduced. This
may be plausible, if somewhat irrational - it would have been at least ten years before their first child would have
been eligible for conscription, but considering the experience that Charlie went through in Brussels it is possible. However,
it is also likely that Charlie was sent over by Clydesdale Electrical from Scotland to run their Belfast shop. He may
even have asked for a transfer to the Belfast store, with the advent of war approaching. When you take his move into
consideration alongside the fact that his brother William sent their sister Annie and
their mother Jessie to Inverness just prior to the war, it is understandable that all the Patons were desperate
to get their families as far away from harm's way as possible. And who could blame them after what they had experienced in
the First World War?
With his family now based in Belfast, Charlie
joined the Royal Air Force during the war, working as a ground crewman, but little is known about his service record as yet.
His nieces Anne and Joan, daughters of his brother William, who were contacted in June 2003,
both remember their Uncle Charlie turning up at their father's house in Glasgow during the war. Anne described how stunned
she was that he looked so like her father, whilst Joan remembers him as being a kind man.
On the night of April 15th 1941, Charlie was certainly based at home in Greencastle. It was Easter
Tuesday, and the first night that the war finally hit home in Belfast, by means of a Luftwaffe blitzkrieg attack. The
following is taken from Brian Barton's book The Blitz: Belfast in the War Years
(p.109):
At Greencastle the raid erupted with dramatic suddenness and ferocity.
After the siren had sounded, local air raid precautions wardens had been warning residents to take cover during the delay.
Then suddenly they caught site of a parachute mine coming down nearby. They had just time to fling themselves to the ground
when it fell in the middle of Veryan Gardens with a vibrating crash that seemed to shatter the neighbourhood. Almost immediately
afterwards, it was followed by another, coming from the direction of the Whitewell Road. In a matter of seconds the whole
area had been devastated. Almost 130 homes in Vandyck Gardens and Veryan Gardens were demolished or severely damaged. A woman
who was taking a bath was blown thirty feet into the Serpentine Road and died from her injuries. At number 45 Veryan Gardens
eight members of the Danby family were killed instantly by the first blast; twenty-five residents in the street died. James
Makemson, a member of the Local Defence Volunteers, remembers bricks from houses 250 yards away being hurled through the roof
of his home in Whitewell Park.
Scarcely had the wardens recovered their faculties when they witnessed
an 'appalling sight'. Several hundreds of terrified, screaming people came rushing from their wrecked houses, and began running
down the Whitewell Road. Some of them were seriously injured. Police Constable James Hawthorne later recalled: 'All had one
objective - to get away from it.' Unfortunately there was nowhere safe to go: no shelter had been built in an area so remote
from any identifiable target. There were 170 casualties, 46 of them fatal. they were tended wherever cover could be found
- houses with rooms still intact, fields and ditches; many, a warden recorded, 'were too dazed or distracted to understand
instructions'.
Veryan Gardens was in fact a continuation of Whitewell
Crescent; Vandyck Gardens and Serpentine Road the next streets along from them. What the book does not record is the
fact that Charlie's house, at 40 Whitewell Crescent, was also hit. His son Robert was just two and a half years old at that
time, but still recalls the night vividly. When the house was blitzed, Robert recalls his father grabbing him and getting himself,
his wife and his baby brother out through the back door, and running up the road to an air raid shelter - possibly
with the very crowds described in Barton's book. Robert particularly recalls this, because en route to the shelter, his father
dropped him accidentally, and he landed on his head! For the next few days, the family slept in a barn, until they were
eventually given the house next door to live in, at 42 Whitewell Crescent, a fact which is confirmed in the Belfast directories for that period. They were now to remain here until 1951. When the war
ended, Greencastle was in fact the first estate in Belfast to be rebuilt.
After the war, and perhaps during as well, Charlie
used to take his children and his wife over to Scotland on holiday once a year. Another of his nieces, Sheena,
daughter of his brother John, has memories of him coming to visit them at their home in the aftermath
of her father's death in 1947, and remembers him making frequent visits right up until she was about ten years old. Sheena
describes him as having been a really handsome man, and always a good laugh when he visited them.
In approximately 1950, Charlie and Jean went through a traumatic time when their daughter Sheila
was diagnosed as having contracted polio. She was treated at Purdysburn Hospital in Belfast, and Sheila remembers that at
one point, when it was feared that the virus had spread its way to her brain, one of the nurses suggested that it was time
to fetch her father, as it was not believed that she had a strong chnace of surviving. However, Sheila pulled through, and
for a few years after would wear calipers to help her when walking.
|
|
| Charles Paton outside his Belfast wireless shop - date unknown |
In 1950 and 1951, Charlie was still listed in the
Belfast directories as a member of the RAF. According to his daughter Sheila, Charlie spent part of the post-war period in
Nairobi, in Africa, and she remembers that when he returned he had been somewhat sad that he had not been able to bring his
house boy back with him, having grown fond of him during his stay there.
In 1952, Charlie is again described as an assistant
manager in the Belfast directories, so it would appear that he ended his RAF service in 1950 or 51.
At some stage after 1950, Charlie's wife Jean walked out on him, secretly arranging to take her daughter Sheila with her
one night to Scotland. Whilst Charlie was left to look after their three sons, Jean took their daughter Sheila with
her to Auchterarder in Perthshire, where she took up work at Gleneagles Hotel as a servant. Shortly after, back in Belfast,
Charlie swapped their house on Whitewell Crescent for that of a woman called Mrs Lorimer, who lived at 111 Britannic
Avenue, just off the Sandy Row. His son Colin believes this may have been to prevent Jean from laying any
claim on the house, but it is not known for definite why this happened. Sheila remembers that her mother told her that what
had caused the split was Jean's suspicion that Charlie had been having an affair with an Inverness woman whilst
in Scotland. Whatever the reason, it would be a couple of years before Charlie saw his daughter again.
Colin's abiding memory of this period is of his father making him eat bread
with lard on it, but his brother Charlie had a slightly more favourable impression of their period with their dad.
When Jean returned about two years later later, she moved into a
flat with Sheila at Gainsborough Drive in Belfast, just off the York Road, and shortly after once more took custody of all
the children and moved to Carrickfergus, in County Antrim. Although they did not divorce, for a time, both Charlie and Jean
were constantly at each other's throats in the courts over the issue of alimony towards Jean, and both Sheila and Colin have
memories of him turning up to their house on a weekly basis in Carrickfergus and putting a shilling onto a shovel and
then pushing it through the letterbox! Not long after, Charlie left Northern Ireland and took up work in Liverpool
in England, living on Egberth Road.
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| Charles Paton at his daughter's wedding, 1970. Also pictured are sons Colin (left) & Charles (right) |
Calum's and Jamie's grandfather, Colin Paton, next saw his father in
Liverpool in 1963. It was after his passing out parade for the Royal Navy, and he stayed with his father for a night in the
city whilst waiting for the ferry to Belfast the next morning. The two did not get on at all. At this stage, Charlie
was managing an electrical shop in the city.
Charlie's daughter Sheila traced her father in Liverpool
in approximately late 1969 or early 1970 and went over to visit him, convincing him to attend her wedding to Allen
Cobby in February in Hull. He did so, and gave her away at the wedding. Sheila also convinced him to return to Northern
Ireland with her. Charlie agreed and according to his son Charlie was put up in a flat in Donaghadee, where he got
a job collecting glasses at a pub called the Imperial, with Sheila remaining in touch with him. He was apparently fondly
thought of by many of the locals in the pub.
Charlie eventually died on September 30th 1987, at Northfield House care home
for the elderly in Donaghadee, County Down, where he had been a resident (it is not known how long he had been living
there). The cause of his death was Carcinomatosis and Carcinoma Prostate - i.e. prostate cancer. On his death certificate,
Charlie was listed as a Retired Manager (Hardware and Electrical Goods). The death was registered in the Ards district of
County Down on October 2nd by his daughter Sheila Cobby (nee Paton), who incorrectly informed the registrar that
he had been born in Inverness rather than Brussels, and in 1904 rather than 1905 (GRONI:D87/A1/0485).
Charlie was buried in an unmarked grave at a cemetery
in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland.
CHILDREN of CHARLES
PATON and JEAN CURRIE:
(1) Robert David
Paton
b: 19XX
Robert is Calum's and Jamie's great uncle
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