Postcard Memories from Earlston in the Scotish Borders: Sepia Saturday

 This month's theme from Sepia Saturday is "Postcard Memories", with the first prompt photograph a street scene.  

I have chosen to feature some postcards from my local heritage group Auld Earlston - each of which tells its own particular story.

Earlston Market Square with the prominent building on the left the Corn Exchange with the clock tower built in 1856.  The clock was a gift from  a former Earlstonian John Redpath who emigrated  to Canada, became a noted industrialist, but never forgot his birhtplace. 

 The view can be dated as earlier than 1921. On the far right of the postcard is a horse at a pump well, built to commemorate the 1815 Battle  of Waterloo.  However in 1921 it was demolished to make way for the local War Memorial recognizing the 49 Earlston men who were killed in the  carnage  of the First World World War. 

 

 Unveiling of the War Memorial 13th November 1921. 

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The railway reached Earlston in 1863  but closed a century later in 1965 as part of the savage nationwide  Beeching cuts.  The station site is now an industrial estate.

Two trains in Earlston station
Copyright © A R Edwards and Son,  Selkirk.    (Cathy Chick Collection).   All Rights Reserved

Two railway cartoons add a humourous note, but their illustrator's life ended unhappily.

                 

 Our Local Express - The Good Old Berwickshire Railway

Acceleration of Trains - the Greenlaw  Corridor makes the journey from Greenlaw to Earlston  and back in twenty four hours. 

 

Postcard franked 1906. 

The Last Train from Earlston 

These are not, however original to Earlston,  but penned by  Fife born artist  Martin  Anderson - you will see his pseudonym signature of Cynicus  at the foot of each card. Many of his railway cartoons were overprinted with different captions and town names, as here.  

Martin Anderson, (1854 –1932)  studied  at Glasgow School of Art,  and exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh.    In 1880 he joined  the publisher of  "The Dundee Advertiser." "The Evening Telegraph", "People's Journal", and "People's Friend" - the first  such staff artist to be employed by any daily newspaper in Britain, for until then daily newspapers were not illustrated.

He turned increasingly to satirical and political cartoons and comic postcard illustrations setting up the "Cynicus Publishing Company".   After initial success, the company was forced to close.  Martin Anderson returned to Edinburgh in 1915, leasing a basement shop in York Place. Nine years later  his Edinburgh shop was destroyed by fire, everything inside it was lost, and he did not have the funds to repair and restock it. 

He retired to Fife to live in increasing poverty.  He died in 1932  and was buried in Tayport Old Churchyard, in an unmarked grave.  

A sad end for such a prolific artist who was a forerunner in  the  field of humourous postcards.  His work is still regularly available in auction houses and online.

Source:  Wikipedia  

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I have chosen this particular postcard from the Auld Earlston collection as it reflects a colourful story.  For in 1908 Prime  Minister Asquith visited Earlston where I live, to make a political speech on behalf of his brother-in-law who was the local Member of Parliament.  But here was a specific concern for the organisers - a threat of a suffragette demonstration.   

 Local newspapers give colourful accounts of the event.  These included  the erection of a tent, measuring 220 feet by 60 feet  with seating accommodation for about 4000 people - this when the population  of Earlston in the 1911 census was only 1677!   How many political meetings in Britain tract that kind of number today?  

It proved to be a notable  occasion,  with the town decorated,  shops closed for the occasion, and special trains laid on  to bring  the crowds, including many reporters. 

When Mr Asquith stood to speak, the newspaper reported "He got a warm greeting. Mary of the people rose to their feet and waved hats and handkerchiefs and cheered with great cordiality". 

However he had only said a few words when,  at the remark  "My primary purpose in coming here this afternoon is to....,.... a woman startled her neighbours by exclaiming  "Give votes to women!".  The interrupter was a young woman of graceful figure and pleasant features.  Stewards made their way to the fair  suffragette  and quickly bore the woman out,  calm and unresisting but with her sailor hat somewhat awry".  

I love that  piece of  journalism!  The newspaper reporter was clearly very taken with the young woman, and found the incident far more  interesting than Mr Asquith's speech which he described as "Unimpassioned with no striking phrases."  

But on a brief Saturday afternoon in October 1908 , Earlston was on the national stage politically.

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John P. Weatherly (1851-1907) was the Earlston's postmaster and also a photographer, who  produced a series of postcards on the village,  entitled the “Weatherly Leadervale Series”  - with three examples shown below.

 

 Kilknowe Head, Earlstotn, at the east end of the village. The area on the right is now the site of the local Primary School.

 

 

A rural scene along Haughhead Road, Earlston at the  west end of the village - a popular country walk. 

 

To end this profile of where I live  - Greetings from Earlston,

 

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