North Berwick Trade Directories

[Pandabean]

Are there trade directories out there for North Berwick? Im trying to narrow down when my Great x4 Grandfather ran his business and when it may have finished.

Thanks,
Andy

[Currie]

Hello Andy,

There’s Pigot’s Commercial Directory of Scotland, 1837. It has a section for Berwickshire about page 290. Were you after that time period?
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=0ec ... q=&f=false

There’s this page for familyrelatives.com but I don’t know how useful it is http://www.familyrelatives.com/search/s ... rwickshire

I was trying to find Berwickshire County Library to see what they have but it looks like it’s gone to Heaven. Does somewhere at http://www.scotborders.gov.uk look after this now? I can’t connect.

All the best,
Alan

[Pandabean]

Hi Alan,

Not sure if I have confused you, but North Berwick is up in East Lothian, part of Haddingtonshire.
But the time period I am looking at ranges from the 1850s to the early 1900s.

Regards,
Andy

[Currie]

Sorry about that Andy,

At least I had the right Country, I almost headed off to Northumberland-shire. I just took a guess at the time period, I think all of my known Great x4 Grandfathers were dead before the 1830’s.

Was it a Whitecross business? If so, there are a number of Google Books not normally viewable in full outside the USA and also Parliamentary Papers which have references to Whitecrosses in connection with North Berwick and which may give clues about the business. Did you have a particular Whitecross in mind. For example there’s an interesting full page Ad in the “Marine Hotel Guide to North Berwick and Vicinity“, 1891, inserted by a John R. Whitecross. Was he the GGGG?

All the best,
Alan

[Pandabean]

Right country is a good start Im only 24 so from what I have seen and people I have known doing the family tree Im a generation ahead (I think ).

Thanks for pointing that info out, my Whitecross's were indeed in North Berwick and had a successful building company and the person who insterted that is a great xx uncle (brother of Margaret Whitecross who is my g xx gran), who is a John Runciman Whitecross, who was a grocer, magistrate, top golfer and a man with a very large white beard.

It also seems the Whitecross family were pretty good builders, they did quite a few buildings in North Berwick. I have already got some newspaper notices being looked into but due to the shear number I may have to visit and copy them myself. I did find quite a few mentions in the Scotsman Archive.

I will try and look at google books if I remember how to get there.

Thanks

[Currie]

Hello Andy,

The Glasgow Herald and a whole lot more 19C newspapers are available online here
http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs/

I have access via a library. UK Further and Higher Education students and staff can get free access via their institution. It’s much better value overall than The Scotsman. Scottish papers there are the Glasgow Herald, Aberdeen Journal and the Caledonian Mercury. Unfortunately there’s no Edinburgh coverage after about 1867. It’s probably worth a visit if you think you’ll get worthwhile results. You can check out the snippets before you pay anything and they’ll give you a good idea of what’s relevant.

The Google Books of interest are mainly only available to US viewers unless you use a proxy. I’ll have another look to see what else is there. If you want a copy of the advert (or more of the book) please send me an email address via a PM.

It went like this:

JOHN R. WHITECROSS
Dealer in First-Class FAMILY GROCERIES & PROVISIONS
Wine Merchant and Italian Warehouseman
HIGH STREET AND WEST END NORTH BERWICK
Importer of Sherries, Ports, Clarets, Brandies, and Liqueurs
Agent for BURGOYNE'S GOLD MEDAL AUSTRALIAN WINES
MAX GREGER'S HUNGARIAN WINES
RAGGETT'S CELEBRATED NOURISHING LONDON STOUT
A Special Blend of very Old Matured SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
18/- per Gallon. 36/- per Dozen. Three dozen and upwards carriage paid.

Alan

[Pandabean]

Hi Alan,

I got the article you mentioned, I realised I had access through the Uni which is always good.

The death notice is short, but there were two other articles with him in it, one on some Bill being reformed by the Scottish Secretary and another.

As for the google books I found a fair number with him in it including the East Lothian Golf book, which East Lothain library have kindly sent me a picture of him, which was in the book.

I will give you a PM later about the other books.