Tag: newspapers

Appointing a new schoolmaster at Melrose in 1788

Sometime I plan to write a detailed blog post about the history of schooling at Melrose before 1820, including back into the mid 17th century. But for now, here’s a nice reference I just found in the early newspapers at the British Newspaper Archive. This report comes from the Caledonian Mercury of 22 May 1788.

PARISH OF MELROSE
THE HERITORS of said Parish are requested to attend a meeting within the church of Melrose, on Thursday the 29th instant, at twelve o’clock mid-day, to fix the mode of chusing a Schoolmaster for said parish, several persons having offered themselves as candidates for that office; and also to take under consideration other parochial concerns.

A New Year letter from Melrose in 1918

I thought I’d look to see if I could find anything nice in the old papers in the British Newspaper Archive for Melrose from 100 years ago. And I found this letter to “The Children’s Circle” column written by “Uncle Dick”, published in the Southern Reporter on 10th January 1918:

Dear Uncle Dick,
We get the “Southern Reporter” every week, and we always read the Circle first as we like it so well. I am nine years old and my sister Chrissie is five. My father has been two and a half years in France fighting for us, but he was home last June, and we were all glad to see him. I expect the weather will be cold and snowing for sliding or snowballing or sledging. I hope so. Wishing you and all the members a Happy New Year.
Your loving niece, Jessie Gray, Burnfoot Cottage, Newstead, Melrose