Samuel

On Friday when I was working at the cafe, I met one of the owners of Barbours, a Dumfries Department Store which was founded in 1856 by his great great grandfather. I recounted a story about my own great grandfather Samuel, who had been an apprentice draper at the store in the 1880s. He had described in his diary how the employees used to play football or dance quadrilles before opening time, and how one day he had fallen over while trying to get the ball  and had knocked over the milliner's counter where she kept her supply of flowers. 

I was printing out the diary to send to Mr Barbour (Samuel only kept it up for the first 2 weeks of 1886 so not many pages) and have spent far too long in the past. I need to get out for a walk now.

Anyway, here is samuel's diary and a photo of him and his family at Burnhead Farm, where he grew up. He is the youngest boy, in the  front row. He lived to be 86.