THE SCOTTS

 

Dorothie's maiden name was Scott, and the family originally came from Selkirk, near Edinburgh. There is some connection with Sir Walter Scott, the famous writer, and a definite connection with Tom Scott, the 'Border Artist' who was her Great Uncle. Barbara, Marjorie and I went for a short holiday in Peebles, Selkirk and the surrounding area in 1988. There is a carving of Tom Scott on one of the buildings in the High Street, and while I was photographing it a girl came out to see what we were doing, because it is now the offices of the local newspaper. We explained that Tom was the girls' relative, so she took us inside and showed us the room where he was born, the window being just over the figurehead. We said that we were also looking for the house he later lived and died in, and she was able to tell us how to find it. So we did and took photographs there as well.

Tom Scott is quite famous in the district. It seems that he got into money trouble and had to sell off all his pictures very cheaply. A number of them still hang in local houses. Everyone up there knows his story.

Father Stan Brown had taken all the family up there touring and actually took photographs of the same places on the day that World War 2 broke out, 3rd September 1939. They also went down the road to Moffatt and took photographs of the family at Dr Ruxton's Bridge, and the Moffatt 'Ram' a statue in the main street, so we did exactly the same. I sent copies to Stan and Barbara, and the originals are in our album, together with the ones we took. Dr Ruxton was a famous murderer who killed his wife, cut her up and put the pieces in a sack and dropped it over the bridge, just outside the town. Unfortunately for him it had not rained for some time, the river was dry, and the sack was seen only a short time later. He was tried and executed.

The Queen Mother is a Bowes-Lyon, also of the Scott Clan, but I have a feeling she would reject any connection with the Saggers Clan.

Dorothie Scott (Dolly Brown) had several brothers and sisters, all now dead so far as I know. One of these was Reggie Scott, who before World War 2 had been a ship's Captain in the Merchant Navy. He went into the Royal Navy when War broke out, and according to Marjorie became an Admiral and took the surrender of some German warships during or after the War. There is some reference to this in the Museum in Valetta, Malta. But Barbara says she knows nothing about it.

I do not know anything about any others of the Scott branch.

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