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Mill of Udny
208 This postcard image, looking west, shows the Mill of Udny, located not far to the south east of Pitmedden, next to the Bronie Burn. This photograph likely dates from the early 20th century.
The large building shown here, which old OS maps indicate was a corn mill, is still there at the time of writing in 2022. As is the bridge over the Bronie Burn, though its walls appear to have been lowered.
The Mill of Udny is located on a small road, running east to west, between Housieside and Udny Green. The original buildings have been added to and it is now the site of the Mill Business Centre. Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie, an Illustrated Architectural Guide (2006) by Ian Shepherd indicates that this conversion took place in 1991.
A waterwheel can be seen on the southern side of the mill in this image. Early 20th century OS maps indicate this was powered by a lade, diverted from the Bronie Burn, that ran through the field to the west. A mill dam was once located to the south west across the field.
This image features in the book Old Udny, Tarves and Methlick (2007) by Donna M. Donald. In accompanying information the author states that in 1800 the mill was one of ten working in the Udny area. Donald also states that the mill was built in the middle of the 18th century, "by a forward-thinking laird", and remained in operation until the 1920s. Pittodrie House
270 This photograph shows Pittodrie House which stands on the east slopes of Bennachie near the village of Pitcaple about 20 miles from Aberdeen. The Mither Tap is visible in the background.
Although the house stands over 680 feet above sea level, it is surrounded by trees which provide shelter from the wind. It is a complex house of several dates and was on the estate of the Knight Erskine family for centuries, before being sold in 1903 to George Smith, a Glasgow shipping magnate who founded the City Line of Steamers. The Smith family still own the property which has been run as a luxury hotel since 1977 and the 3000 acre estate is leased for agriculture.
The original house probably dated from around 1490, and a wheel stair from that period still survives, although the house was burnt by Montrose during the Covenanting Wars.
A date stone commemorates the re-building by the Erskines in 1675, and in 1841, the architect Archibald Simpson created the large neo-Jacobean extension with three storey balustraded tower on the east side - seen here covered in ivy. A billiard room was added in the early 1900s and further extensions took place in 1990.
The word 'Pittodrie' is thought to be derived from the Gaelic 'todhar' which can mean either manure or bleach. Aberdeen Football Club's ground is known as Pittodrie Stadium, because the Knight Erskines also owned the lands in the city where the stadium was built. Jack's Brae
710 A photograph looking north west up Jack's Brae, from its junction with Upper Denburn, in the Rosemount area. Jack's Brae was named after the owner of property there. This photograph likely dates from the mid-to-late 19th century.
The Ordnance Survey town plan of Aberdeen, 1:500 scale, surveyed in 1866-67 depicts a "Coffee Roasting and Grinding Works" at the top of Jack's Brae at its junction with Leadside Road. A large chimney of these works can be seen on the right side of this image in the distance.
These works were the premises of John Strachan. In the Aberdeen Post Office Directory for 1867-68, Strachan is described as follows:
"Strachan, John, coffee roaster, coffee, sugar, and sugar grinder, Jack's brae" (page 213).
Aberdeen City Council's Historic Environment Record describes the site thusly:
"Site of meal mills, built in the 18th - 19th Centuries and demolished in the 1980s. The works was two-storey with a basement, comprising a 9-bay range with a single kiln and a three-storey with attic 5 by 6-bay block of later date. There were also two 2-storey store blocks. The mill was originally water powered, later electrically driven. The OS 1st edition map depicts a coffee roasting and grinding works here; they are annotated as corn mills on the OS 25in map published 1924." (link here).
The business was known as John Strachan & Sons and the works as Gilcomston Mill. The business was started in around 1852 and John Strachan was succeeded as its proprietor by his son James Strachan (1838-1914). His obituary can be found in the Evening Express of 28th December 1914, page 5. His son, John Strachan, was later to become the business's managing director. The obituary of this later John Strachan can be found in the Press & Journal of 1st July 1935, page 8.
At the time of writing in 2022, the site is occupied by a residential complex called Strachan Mill Court - no doubt named after the coffee roasting and milling enterprise. Lower Justice Mill, Union Glen
810 Justice Mills of one kind or another are first mentioned in the 1300s, and were the site of a famous battle. In their final form, an Upper Justice Mill occupied a site later partially covered by the Odeon Cinema building, while the Lower Mill stood in Union Glen, at the bottom of the steep slope with its mill dam above and behind it (see water wheel centre left). The left hand part of the building and the wheel were removed when the cinema was built, the dam was drained and a thoroughfare created into Union Glen, but the central and right hand parts survived, albeit derelict, into the 1960s.
The wagon in front of the buildings is painted with the business name James Alexander & Son, Grain Merchants. The 1866-67 Ordnance Survey large scale town plan of Aberdeen indicates that Lower Justice Mill was a corn mill.
A black cat can also be seen in the centre right of the image and a woman carrying some type of load is in front of the waterwheel.
Correspondent Geoffrey Mann has been in touch to inform us that in 1793 there was a miller at the Justice Mills called George Reid. This information was found from an Old Machar baptismal record for his and Margaret Smith's (his wife) daughter Elizabeth.
Coincidentally, there was another George Reid (1826-1881) who was a partner in the prominent seedsmen and agricultural implement makers, Messrs Benjamin Reid & Co., who had their Bon-Accord Works just to the east of the Justice Mills. The obituary of this later George Reid from The Aberdeen Journal 16/07/1881 states that at the time his death he lived with his two sisters in Justice Mill Lane. New Bridge of Don, Aberdeen
831 A James Valentine postcard image looking east towards the Bridge of Don in Aberdeen with the river mouth beyond.
The photograph used on this postcard likely dates from the early 20th century. The lone building at the left end of the bridge would be the Donview Hotel.
The buildings on the far left, down the path from the hotel, are likely those of Don Mills, which processed corn and barley. Aberdeen City Council's Historic Environment Record states that the mill was originally built as a distillery in 1798. A School of Dolphins: Back O' Bennachie at Bucksburn Library
2177 The inspiration behind Back O' Bennachie's design is our lovely position at Oyne School of being nestled at the bottom of Bennachie. The pupils used the colours of the hill to inspire their design. Grinding Corn in Skye
3220 A print of a George Washington Wilson photograph showing a couple grinding and winnowing grain on Skye in 1885. Castle Fraser
4209 A photograph showing the round tower and east wing of Castle Fraser.
Historic Environment Scotland on their CANMORE website state that "the Round Tower provides an excellent viewing platform of the landscape in all directions (although even from here Bennachie cannot be seen, contrary to some 19th century pictures of the Castle). The elevated position allows the topographic setting of the Castle and its designed landscape to be appreciated."
This image likely dates from the 1970s. It comes from a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's publicity department. Bennachie
4229 A view looking west of Bennachie's Mither Tap from somewhere around Chapel of Garioch. In the foreground is some of the area's rich farmland, with a barn and farmhouse in the lower left.
This image likely dates from the 1970s or 80s. It is a part of a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's Publicity department. Treasure 23: Scribner's Statistical Atlas of the United States
194 With roots dating back to the religious observances of the founding fathers, the national holiday of Thanksgiving is celebrated each November in America. The development of the holiday largely mirrors the development of the American nation itself, with tales of warring peoples, inter-state rivalry and the inevitable spread of development.
One popular oral tradition traces Thanksgiving to an event in 1621 which took place between the Pilgrim fathers and the native Wampanoag people. Relations between the settlers and indigenous people were inevitably tense at this time, but the shared feasting and frolics of the "Plymouth Thanksgiving" heralded a friendly truce which lasted for fifty years.
Many years later, and during the tensions of the American Civil War, the editor of a popular magazine, Sarah Josepha Hale, campaigned for a national holiday as a way of promoting unity between the states. Thanksgiving Day was announced by Abraham Lincoln and celebrated for the first time on 26 November 1863. Since then, Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.
In 1880, a volume was produced which sought to capture the "state of the union", using data gleaned from census and other records to produce visual representations of the nation. Scribner's Statistical Atlas of the United States uses a mass of information on topics as diverse as population, literacy, agriculture and religion to literally map out the whole of the developing country.
Using just one example from Scribner's Atlas charting the distribution of corn production across the entire United States, it is clear that the general pattern of development is east to west. The eastern areas are much smaller and more populous than the wide expanse of the "unsettled parts" - referred on the Silver Screen as "the Wild West".
Another key aspect of the map are the areas denoted as "Indian Reservations" - specific territories designed to allow some limited freedom of movement to the indigenous populations finding themselves under increasing threat from multiple generations of European settlers. Within the numerous reservations some recognisable Native American names are visible - Sioux, Cherokee and Navajo; however, many are less familiar and many more are either under threat or have entirely disappeared - such as the Wampanoags of the original "Plymouth Thanksgiving" of 1621.
Scribner's Statistical Atlas of the United States was a vast undertaking of data management completed in a simpler age of pen and ink. The detail provided in the snapshot offers readers an intriguing glimpse at the development of one of the most powerful nations on the planet today.
To the Independent Electors and Friends of the Country, the Constitution, and the Queen
492 This broadside from 2nd August 1837 implores those eligible to vote for William Gordon (1784-1858) in the upcoming General Election.
It suggests that Gordon's opponent, Thomas Burnett, was attempting to mislead the electorate. Gordon, a Conservative, held his Aberdeenshire seat from 1820 to 1854. The broadside informs the electorate that Gordon is a friend of farmers because he supports the Corn Laws.
In parliament, Gordon advocated for separate banking systems for England and Scotland. He also worked to prevent illicit distillation and increase legal distillery trades. Gordon was Lord of the Admiralty, chief of the British Navy, from 1841 to 1846.
The broadside was printed on a Wednesday. The Monday preceding, the nominations for candidates had been opened. When Gordon was nominated, 'he was heartily hissed' and had unpleasantries expressed towards him.
Sir Thomas Burnett (1778-1849), 8th Baronet of Leys, was the Whig candidate and was so well received by the crowds at the nominations that proceedings were delayed for several minutes. (London Courier and Evening Gazette, 4th August 1837, p. 3). Burnett's obituary in the Aberdeen Herald (3rd March 1849, p. 3) indicates that he was a long-standing advocate of parliamentary reform. In the election, Burnett received 807 votes to Gordon's 1,220. (Perthshire Courier, 10th August 1837).
In the text, Gordon's support of Hanover refers to his support of Queen Victoria's familial line, which traces itself to Hanover. Gordon accuses Burnett of wanting to rid Britain of Hanoverians while professing to support the Queen. The Aberdeen Herald was dismayed at the news of Burnett's defeat in the election over the issue (London Courier, 8th August 1837, p. 3).
This broadside was printed by R. King of Peterhead.
Other broadsides referring to Gordon can be found here. |