The Life History of Mary Strachan "Potty's"

(Transcribed in April 1987 by William Nicol

and typed by Andy Anderson)

This is the life history of a great friend and relative of mine, whom I have known and visited all my life, and who has now passed away. This was written by her at the age of 86 years.

Memories of a village in the beginning of the twentieth century, as I remember it - Buchanhaven. This village, which is on the sea coast, lies about 1 mile north, beyond the town of Peterhead.

The three streets, Ware Road, Mid Street and High Street house about 150 families and were all built to one pattern of the cottage type. A But and Ben with a narrow stairs between which led up to 2 attics. A washouse at the back completed the building. There were no lavatories, and bathrooms were a thing never heard of at that time.

Description of Interior. The living room consisted of settee (dessee) 5 feet long, kitchen dresser, meal barrel (girnel), food cupboard, table and four chairs. Bedroom furniture had a chest of

drawers, a built in cupboard for hanging clothes, two chairs and of course the box bed. The six foot passage between the rooms held a stand with basin for washing and a pail underneath for holding the dirty water which was carried outside to the drain on the street. As the family increased, the lined attics had to be changed into bedrooms for the boys. I being the only girl and also the youngest of the family, slept with mother and father in the boxbed in the livingroom.

Water Supply. In each street there was a well which one had to pump for water. There were usually six or seven persons waiting their turn to get their pails filled and the village gossip helped to pass the time. The night before mother's washing day, my brothers who were older than I, had to carry the thirty pails of water or more to fill the big boiler which was heated by coal fire. Later on, when I was seven years old, mother got in piped water into the washhouse and we thought it was wonderful just to turn on the tap and have plenty of running water. Mother was especially thankful for it when she had so many dirty clothes to wash. The washtubs were made from a barrel cut in two which was very heavy to lift.

Washing Days In the days before washing machines, washing clothes was really hard labour, especially if one had a family of ten to wash for. A wooden tub placed on top of a square stool, a

scrubbing brush, a board two feet long and one foot broad. The boiler held twenty gallons of water, had a cold water tap on top for refilling the boiler when empty. It was heated by a coal fire

underneath. Hard soap and also soft green soap which was sold in seven pound tins when bleach and soap powders were unknown at that time. Woolens were always washed first , scrubbed on the right side in the first water and on the wrong side in the second. They were

next mangled out all the soapy water, then rinsed in clean water and mangled again. As the mangle had two heavy rollers, I must say the clothes were half dry before hanging out. Coloured clothes were next on the list then jerseys and trousers. The whites came last, as they had to be boiled in the boiler for a good half hour. Next morning mother & I carried the white clothes to a green beyond the village (before the council was built) It was lovely spreading the clothes in the fine summer mornings. We watered them three times during the day and collected them at eight o'clock and rinsed them through clean water and mangled them ready to hang out in the morning. Of course, bleaching on the green only happened in the summer months. When my brothers came home from Yarmouth, mother had thirty shifts of clothes to wash. Each shift had a flannel woolen shirt, woolen pants and a pair of long stockings. In these days fishermen wore much heavier clothing than they do today. The jerseys and trousers were really dirty and took almost three days to get all the grease out. Next, the blankets which they required for the beds in the boats also had to be washed. The washing took mother a fortnight as she had to do so much every day and as it was December, they did not dry so well as in Summer. I still remember my first washing at that time when I was fourteen years old. I had to wash sixty stockings which were scrubbed on both sides and needed four different waters before I got them clean. I got them through the mangle and pegged them on the line. This was my day's work from nine in the morning till six in the evening with half an hour off for dinner. When I was fifty five years old I managed to acquire a washing machine which was a great blessing to me in my old age. It is really a great invention for a working man's wife. A young girl getting married today expects a washing machine to be her first wedding gift. Hard work and health is a world of wealth and often too much leisure and too much money can oftener be a curse than a blessing.

Lighting and Heating Every street had three lamposts which were lighted by gas jets and had just enough light to let you see to walk along the street in the dark. The houses all had paraffin lamps hung from the roof of the living room and the bedroom had a small lamp. Candles were used a lot in these days and the brass candlesticks were to be seen in every home. Coal fires were the principal heating for the rooms, as one had to do all the cooking on the black range. Peats were also used especially for baking the oatcakes. We bought a load of peats which was shared by five or six of our neighbours. I think it cost 15/- (75p) and we got six herring baskets for our share.

Occupation Most of the men of the village were fishermen who went out in open boats summer and winter. They were a hardy race of men who knew nothing but work and sleep, but they never went to sea on Sunday as most of them were church going men. Mussels supplied the bait for line fishing and the fishermen's wives had to go down to the rocks and gather the mussels into creels which they carried on their backs. I still wonder how they survived on a cold frosty morning. Later on, about 1905, the fishermen decided to go in for steam drifters which boasted a cabin and wheelhouse. They now had shelter from the elements of the sea on a rough day. The young girls usually went to service, as the mothers with large families were always glad to give them a job to look after the children. There were half a dozen fishwives in the village who cleaned and smoked fish in a small hoose in their own back yard. These women then went in the train to the country villages and surrounding farms to sell their fish, but most were sold by barter receiving butter, eggs and cheese in exchange. They sold the butter at a shilling per pound, eggs at 6 pence per dozen and cheese at 10 pence per pound. These women really worked hard to make a livlihood, but enjoyed walking around the farms in the lovely summer days. They had a creel on their back and a fish basket on their arm.

Food Fish, meat, oatmeal and potatoes were the staple diet of our village at that time. Milk was supplied from a farm on the edge of the village. Milk was then sold at one penny per pint and cream cost four pence per pint. Steak was two shillings per pound, boiling beef was one shilling and a lovely sixpenny bone made a pot of soup for a family of six. Fish was really the chief diet, as one could buy a big cod for a shilling and haddocks at three pence each. Haddock made lovely fish soup, with two pints of milk, an ounce of butter and mashed creamy potatoes. Herrings were also a great favourite especially in the summer months when we had then fresh from the sea every day. We usually cured a barrel of salt herrings for the winter months. Mother always bought the oatmeal in eight stone bags which was kept in the barrel (girnel) in the living room. Oatcakes were cooked every week without fail over a fire of peats. The girdle was hung on a swey which could be moved up or down according to the heat of the fire. A toaster in front of the fire browned them to a lovely golden brown colour. They were then cooled off on a tray. Potatoes were very cheap in those days, as one could buy a bag of eight stones for three or four shillings. Eggs also were plentiful at 6 pence per dozen. We used to preserve 20 dozen in waterglass for the winter as they cost 2 shillings when eggs became scarcer. I don't remember ever having seen tinned food when I was young. Porridge was the usual breakfast meal.

Shopping Our baker was also the grocer who supplied the needs of the whole village. He often kept open till eight o'clock and ten o'clock on Saturdays. The week's messages for a family of six cost 15/- and included four loaves, buns, fancy cakes and sweets. As everything had to be weighed out, sugar, tea, butter, cheese, barley, peas and syrup, there was always a long queue at the counter. One could always collect all the gossip of the village life from births, deaths and marriages. The baker himself had a great sense of humour which helped to pass the time. One didn't have to be in a hurry when they went to the baker. The butcher too, had a great sense of humour; a great character as he made you mince your own beef while he served the next customer.

Education The small school had only three classrooms which the children of the village attended from the age of five years old until they were ten years old. They then went to the neighbouring town of (Easton?) to a higher school, until they reached the age of fourteen years. Transport between the village and the town was unknown and the children had to walk the mile between, twice daily, which they enjoyed especially in the winter when they had plenty of fun snowballing one another. A few of the clever ones went to the academy for higher education. I myself had to leave school when I was fourteen years old as I was needed at home to help my mother. That was the end of my education.

Home Life In these days, mother had a never ending job, washing, cleaning, cooking and baking the oatcakes and scones. By this time, father and brothers had acquired a steam drifter for the herring fishing, so mother had all the extra work of mending the nets. Working hours usually started from six o'clock in the morning and ended at nine o'clock at night. That was in the long summer days. In the winter when the boats could not owing to the stormy weather, life was easier and one could enjoy some relaxation. My brothers played the melodian which helped with the singing of the old scotch songs. Our fun was all homemade as there were no picture houses then nor television.

Entertainment Dancing was the favourite form of enjoyment which was held on a spare piece of land at the edge of the village. A melodian supplied the music and the young lads and lasses really had a grand time of it in the spring evenings after the day's work was finished. Swimming was a great pasttime in the summer, especially for the school children when the school was closed for the summer holidays. Football was the men and boys' relaxation which they played in field beyond the village. In the winter nights the young folks held concerts in the old school. There were always plenty of talent, singing, acting, reciting and dancing. I can still remember Harry Lauder's favourite song "Roamin in the Gloamin". About 1908 the young boys and girls acquired a hall (Polar Hall) in the neighbouring town (Roanheads) for which they paid five shillings per night for the hire. Dancing, concerts and weddings were also held there. A baker catered for the reception which cost around œ20 for 100 guests. The bell-ringer was a source of amusement when he came round the streets to announce the coming events of the week. Every door was opened to hear the latest news which he had to impart. Often it was only " a meeting will be held in the schoolroom tonight at eight o'clock to which you are all cordially invited". Jamie" (the town crier - 'Newly Come Over') was a great favourite amongst the children as they sometimes got to ring the bell.

Weddings At the beginning of the century, weddings were held in the schoolroom. The bride and groom had to walk from their parents' house along the street to the school. As most of the weddings then were held in the evening and the school children had great fun following the wedding party. (Ball money was thrown to the children by the bride and groom on leaving the wedding ceremony). The reception was held in the home of the newly married pair. Gifts then did not supply the needs of the couple as they do now. Baskets of food of different kinds were the main gifts, and usually there was plenty left over to keep the couple for the next three weeks. My father had six brothers and two sisters so I had a host of cousins older than I as I was the last arrival in father's family. I always had plenty invitations to their weddings, but one didn't get a new dress for every wedding to were invited to then, as the same dress had to do for the next six or seven weddings, unless you had outgrown them. About 1908 most of the weddings were held in the neighbouring town (Roanheads Polar Hall) as transport became available (Jimmy Sutherland?). A bus drawn by two horses took the wedding guests to the hall in which the couple got married, and also for the reception. Church marriages were unknown in these days and not until 1914 was there a white wedding which was held in the church. Blue dresses were a favourite colour of the village girls, as there was an old saying which said, "Married in blue,- he'll always be true".

Holidays At the beginning of the century we only had three holidays; one in June, one in September and of course, New Year's Day when every shop closed. The poor shopkeepers had a busy time of it on New Year's Eve as they kept open until nearly 12 o'clock. I remember my first holiday by train when I was seven years old, when I was taken ten miles into the country for a strawberry treat. This treat was given by the laird who owned the land of the village (Ferguson of Pitfour?). All the mothers and the school children of the village were invited for the afternoon. A special train was laid on and we all enjoyed the thrill of being VIP's for the occasion. After leaving the train we had a fifteen minutes walk to the mansion house. The treat was held in the riding school with tables and chairs for the guests. The maids of the house served the strawberries and cream, then tea with lovely thin buttered brown bread. Another delightful walk back to the train and we arrived home tired but very happy. My next holiday was to Aberdeen when I was twelve years old to launch my brother's boat which I named "The Hope". I received a real gold bangle which I was very proud of as it was my first piece of jewellery. After the launch we went to a hotel for dinner, to which a number of my friends were invited. A toast was drunk for the success of the new boat, but I had lemonade.

Superstitions Played a great part in the village, especially among fishermen. If a fisherman met a certain woman on his way to sea, he would turn back and not go to sea that day. Another was not to give salt away as that meant giving away your luck. A black cat running across your path, no minister down to the boat, do not whistle as it creates wind, never mention salmon but refer to it as red fish, broken mirror - seven years' bad luck, do not walk under ladders. I think the first World War 1914-18 did away with most of the customs, but still a few of the old superstitions have not completely died out. One custom I remember was when a death occurred in the village, no boat went to sea until after the funeral. If a relative died, one had to wear black dresses for at least six months and anyone within that time wearing a coloured dress was certainly scandalised. The new generation have done away with all that stupid nonsense.

Church Life Most of our village were Church of Scotland, Baptists, Methodist, English Chapel, Congregational and Brethern. Sunday School was held in the schoolroom for the children until they reached the age of ten then they were able to walk to town. Sunday was kept for the Lord's day. I can still see the people walking to church dressed in their Sunday best clothes. My granny would not allow you to peel potatoes on a Sunday, everything had to be prepared on Saturday night. It was really lovely to hear the church bells ringing on a peaceful Sunday morning as you walked along the quiet streets to church. The young folk of today have missed that joy and peace we enjoyed because of the speed of life today. Only a few folk walk to church today. There was a meeting on Sunday afternoon for the mother who could not get to church. It was led by one of the local men . We had three weeks' revival meetings in the spring conducted by three faith mission ladies which was very well attended. The community singing was a great attraction for the young folk of the village. Another lady came to the village in a caravan from which she held her meetings every night during the summer months. They were well attended as the mothers and children enjoyed the lovely singing of the Sankey Hymns. As it was an open-air meeting the mothers took their own stools and chairs to sit on during the meeting.

A Prophecy I remember my granny telling me about this prophecy which she said was to happen during the twentieth century. It was, ships would be flying in the air, carriages would be running without horses. That was before motors and planes were unknown. We used to laugh at granny and say "How can a ship fly in the air?" Now I can say I have lived to see all of it come to pass. Our doctor had the first motor car to be seen in the village and it caused some excitement to see it running around the streets. Horses were still used for a number of years until the young men had the ambition to learn to drive a car.

1914-1918 War Years Life went on as usual until 1914 when war was declared. The young men of the village were called up for the forces, and the government commandeered most of the fishing fleet with the result a lot of the fishermen had to leave home to work in the shipyards in Glasgow. A few joined the merchant navy. We lost nine of our boys in the battlefields of France all in their twenties. Also a few of the men who went into the Royal Navy lost their lives by drowning. Life in the village became restricted as food became scarcer owing to our imports from abroad. I was in the Isle of Man in 1916 when a batch of German prisoners of war arrived. It made me sad to see them as they all looked very depressed.

The Years after the War The war finished in November 1918 and most of the men were discharged in 1919, amongst them my two brothers who had been in the navy during the four years' war. They were thankful to be alive as thousands lost their lives and many young men who survived the war, came home maimed for life. My boy friend who was also in the navy in July 1919 and we decided to get married. We were fortunate in our parents as they were able to supply us with the necessary goods we needed to start a home. The following years from 1920-1930 were years of depression and unemployment. Many families knew what hunger meant at that time as money was scarce throughout the country. A lot of the young fishermen went abroad to Canada and Australia. We were fortunate because my husband got a job from his father at £3 per week which kept us in food and heating. His father's boat, which had been in the service for four years, was released, but was in very bad condition. The government paid his father a sum of money to repair the damage so my husband got a job repairing the boat during the following year. When the boat was ready to go to sea my husband crewed up with his father and two brothers. The herring fishing was almost at a standstill as the markets abroad could not afford to buy the herrings. However, my father-in-law decided to start the deep sea line fishing which meant having to be away for a fortnight at a time.

1934 When we were married for fifteen years, my mother died, father having passed on some years before her. My husband and I decided to return to the old home in the village. After we had the house modernised by adding two extra bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen, we moved in with our three children. By this time most of the older generation had passed on and a younger one had taken their place in the village. They were a different class from the old fishermen and their wives, as most of them went in for different types of work. Two new factories employed a greater number of the men also some of the women. There are still a few fishermen yet but they fish from different ports along the coast. The village fishing of the small boats are now practically extinct, as they require larger boats for the longer distance to the deep sea fishing grounds. Apart from a few old cottages the whole village has been modernised and most of the working class has acquired a motor car to transport them to their work in the factories. The greatest change in the village was electricity where about every home now have cookers, washers, hoovers, irons, fires and electric blankets. Education has advanced amongst the younger generation and we have a few teachers, nurses, clerkesses, typists and university students.

1939 - 1945 Hitler War When war broke out again in 1939 my husband was too old for the services and my sons were too young; I felt it my duty to entertain any of the servicemen who came to the village. As there was an airfield just five miles away, we met the young boys also the married men who came to our church. Some of them still correspond with me and also pay me a visit when they are on holiday with their family. We had a young lad from Australia staying with us for a week but sad to say he was killed at Dunkirk at Christmas. They used to come round the village carol singing and stop at our door where they knew I would give them tea and cakes. The bombing brought the war very near to our door, but one had to grin and bear it. It brought great grief and sorrow to those people who had lost dear ones in the many raids throughout the country. The ships too were always in danger from mines and submarines. I remember a ship sailing along the coast on a lovely sunny day, when suddenly there was nothing but a cloud of smoke. Time went on and at last the war came to an end. As my family had left school by this time, they were eager to find a job, as work at that time was still scarce after the war was over. My husband had stopped going to sea but he found a job in a fish yard which kept us going until he retired. Looking back over the years since we came back to the village, I can truly say, have been the happiest years of our lives. We give thanks to God for all the blessings we received and for all the friendships we have known, but more so for the love of our family and our grandchildren who have made life pleasant for us in our old age.

MY GRANNY 1820 - 1904

I was eleven years old when she died but I still remember her as she had such a happy personality. She had a great sense of humour which helped to keep her going when she experienced the great loss of her husband and two sons. My mother gave me the true facts of granny's life, as I was too young to know what happened before I was born. At twenty-three years of age granny married a sailor in the merchant navy. They had two sons and three daughters, my mother being the youngest of the family. They had a strict upbringing and learned early to live according to their means. During the summer months they went barefooted to save their shoes for winter. Sunday to granny was a day of rest for body and soul and going to church and Sunday School. She would never dream of washing pots on a
Sunday but the cups and plates had to be washed as they had not a lot of spare dishes. Saturday night was bath time. The broth and potatoes were all prepared for Sunday dinner. When only thirteen years married granny got a cablegram from the owners of the ship my grandfather sailed in was drowned off Newfoundland. The eldest boy James was only twelve years old, William was ten and the three girls aged seven, four and my mother nine months. Her neighbour from next door came in to give her sympathy and said "Oh, Mary Ann, what will you do with all these children to bring up?" Granny's answer was "The Lord never saw the righteous want, nor their seed begging their bread". She lived to prove the truth of these words. (84 when she passed away). All she had in her purse was a few shillings until she got her next pay. After the shock of her husband's death had worn off, she realised that she had to get a job, which she did at the fish and also weaving nets in between. At that time the food was cheap. They got plenty porridge, soup made from a sixpenny bone, eggs sixpence a dozen and always plenty of fresh fish. On Sunday they had steak and vegetables. Granny was brought up by a thrifty mother and her training was a great help to her in her married life. The family grew up and both sons went into the merchant navy. The girls all went into service as the was always a demand for girls to help mothers with large families. My mother left school when twelve years old and was nanny to a boy who later on became one of the leading business men of the town. I remember going into his shop with my mother one day when he presented her to his assistants as his nurse when he was a baby. Granny's eldest son James was drowned when he was only twenty-one years of age, but she never knew it happened. William was married when he was twenty-four and rose to be captain of the boat he sailed in. He too was drowned when he was thirty-six and his wife was left with a girl and two boys to bring up. The owner of the ship came to see his wife to tell her how much he respected William; in fact he said he was the man he would have wished for a son-in-law. His death was another blow for granny but she carried on working twelve hours a day and no-one ever heard her complain. She did get the chance to remarry but she said, "I had a good husband and I haven't forgotten him". By this time her three daughters were all married to seafaring men and all lived on the same street as granny (Mid Street). Mother used to tell me a lot of stories about granny. One was about when my mother refused to go a message in the rain, granny said, "you are not sugar or salt, you will not melt in the rain". I remember one night when I was six years old going to sleep with her after she had given me two pence; I settled down to sleep but ten minutes later I said, "this is your 2p back granny, I'm going back to my own bed". It was the first time I was away from mother so I must have been homesick. The prophecy granny told mother about what would happen in the twentieth century was that ships would be flying in the air and carriages would be going on the streets without horses. She did not live to see those prophecies fulfilled. She used to say the Lord did not bless her with money, but he blessed her with good health as she never had a doctor all her life. When she was not able to work, her eldest daughter had to live with her. I still remember on Sunday evenings when she had all the neighbours in the house to enjoy the fellowship of the lovely singing of Sankey's Hymns.

She died at the age of 84.