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Village Life: 1900-1920
Some of the families coming in to work for the Lothian
Coal Co. at Newtongrange came from other Lothian pits, some
came from South Yorkshire (Higginson is a fairly common
name in the village) and many came from the West of Scotland.
Significant amongst this last group was a large number of
Lithuamians or 'Poles' as they were called. Lithuamia had
been under Polish role for centuries but was under the rule
of Csarist Russia in the 1890s when Lithuanians first began
arriving in Scotland. Many were escaping from conscription
or persecution by the Russians. Some were actively recruited
by Lanarkshire ironmasters to work in the pits and a sizeable
community grew up in Bellshill. By 1906 there were about
200 Lithuanians in Newtongrange. In the West of Scotland,
it appears the Lithuanians were regarded with suspicion
and hostility, but they were popular in Newtongrange and
were generally very well treated. The one thing the Lithuanians
hated was to be called Poles - it was as bad as calling
a Scotsman an Englishmen.
The Lithuanian names caused some difficulty at the pit.
Some were given any Scottish name (Joe Sunelaitis became
Joe Campbell), some got a name that was similar to their
own (the Maliejus family was called Molloy) and some families
kept their Lithuanian name (e.g. Dubickas). They were free,
of course, to revert to their original name if they had
chosen but mostly they were content with their new identity.
The Lithuanians were quiet hard-working, law-abiding citizens
but some were notably violent after a heavy drinking bout.
Jim Barton remembers, "Albert the Pole was a muckle
big strong man. My granny wis a wee wummin and she could
quieten him like a moose. If they were drunk at the pub
he used tae take a stab oot o' yin o' the gairdens and he
would wowf them a'. We wis just wee, ye ken, at the time.
My granny came oot, "Pit it doon, Albert." and
he pit it doon and lifted her up and walked intae the hoose
and put her on a chair and geen her a clap and went away."
These are some of the commonest surnames in Newtongrange
- Holgate, Cornwall, Reid, Thomson, Walkinshaw, Moffat,
Purves, Duncan, Peacock, Mclntosh, Lockhart, Allan, Wilson,
Neilson and Bryson. Nicknames used to be popular amongst
the men, though they're not so common now. There was Bander
Bob, Band Broon, Oomp McLead and Tommy Blaw, who were all
bandsmen. There was Scrappie Gray, Scoop Crichton (a reporter),
Trekkle Moffat and Chip per Young who had a chip van that
was always parked at Mansfield Avenue (and it was called
Chipper Avenue). There was Sweerie Tarn, Cleeckie Walkinshaw
(who had no hands), Rob Roy (Rob King, the farmer, who was
in the drama club and played that part once), Star Blue
and Beer or no Beer. Some were not complimentary, like Chimpy,
Tat-tie and the Pups. Certain nicknames run in families.
The Reids are usually called Kim and a branch of the Moffats
are always called Dobie. In one family there were two brothers
called Dobie (Auld Dobie and Young Dobie) and their father
was Faither Dobie.
Up until 1902 the only shops in Newtongrange were on John
Roman's property. In the Loan there was a grocer, a chemist,
a draper, a tailor, a shoemaker and a baker with another
grocer in Newbattle Road. Numerous vans served the village.
There were milk carts, fish carts and 'soor dook' carts.
There were pedlars, fish wives and rag and bone men. The
Co-op vans from Gorebridge, Dalkeith and Tranent did especially
good business at the beginning of the century. Sandy Fairlie*
writes "The trade in Newtongrange had by this time
reached large proportions with a van service three times
a week. Indeed, on what was known as the 'Pay Saturday',
Geordie Smith was in the village the whole day starting
off with grocery orders. Most of the customers paid their
books to him and so saved themselves the trouble of travelling
up to he Central to do so. A lorry followed up with potato
and beer orders. This completed, an order of bread was then
served to the customers and so quite a busy day for the
vanman was completed. It might also be stated that the premises
were open on Pay Fridays and Saturdays until 10 p.m."
There was a need for more shops in the village and two
plots of land one at each end of the village were reserved
by the Coal Co. for feuing to shopkeepers. The one at the
bottom end of Newtongrange was first to be taken up. Johnston
Armistead built a shop there in 1902. He was a boot and
shoemaker who had had a shop for many years on the Loan.
His new shop was also the post office. His daughter looked
after the shop and post office and Mr. Armitstead had a
wee hut at the back where he mended shoes. Tom Stewart was
another local tradesman who feued a plot to build his own
shop. He had had the licensed grocer's at Hope House but
he never sought a licence for his new premises next to the
Dean.
Willie Reid built a block of six shops in 1906 in Station
Road and ran one of them himself as Reid's Beehive Stores.
Close by, the Gorebridge Co-op opened extensive new premises
in 1908. Their five shops included a grocery, a bakery,
a furniture shop, a drapery and a butcher. Round the back
were workshops for tailors and bootmakers, delivery van
sheds and stables. The Dalkeith Co-op built shops in Station
Road before the War. In the 1920s the Dalkeith Co-op was
taken over by the Musselburgh and Fisherrow Co-op. Other
tradesmen moved into the Loan. Burgari Quinto opened his
first shop there in 1905. Jim Barton remembers, "Quinto
had a chip shop up the Loan. Ye jist went in. It wis jist
a wee room an' a lobby. Ye went in yin at a time an' ye
got yer fish supper. Then at the other side o' the pend
he hud an ice-cream shop. They hud a billiards hall at the
back. Thats where the Poles held their weddin s. It went
on for a week. They jist got drunk and sobered up an' startit
again."
In 1908 Newtongrange got its first railway station. A Dalkeith
Advertiser reporter wrote, "During the last dozen years
at least the question of providing proper railway facilities
has been mooted again and again. The Dalhousie railway station,
which since the days of the horse railway has served the
population of Newbattle parish, is now closed, and while
some slight inconvenience which the people of Newtongrange
are now afforded. The fare from Eskbank to Newtongrange
in now l'/2d. third class (as compared \\ith Id. formerly
to Dalhousie) the distance to the new station being three
quarters of a mile longer to the old. The fares to Edinburgh
have not been altered, and from Newtongrange to Gore-bridge
the charge is 2' 'id. Mr. Thomas Balmer, formerly of Gretna,
who recently took up duty at Dalhousie, has been transferred
to the new station." (Dalkeith Advertiser, 6 September
1908).
People seldom travelled far from their own village in those
days and Newtongrange folk were no exception. The Trades
Holidays lasted a week but were unpaid and,as no one could
afford to go away, a day's excursion to Portobello beach
by train was the most anyone could expect. Traditionally,
visits to friends outwith he village were made at New Year,
and on the Saturday after Play Day.
All the organisations had an annual excursion by train,
bus or farmer's cart to destinations near and far. In 1913
the Gorebridge Co-op trip was to Oban, the Burns Club took
400 to Melrose and the United Free Church chartered a special
train to Penicuik for 350 trippers. The Easthouses Sunday
School went to Heriot, the Camper's Club reached Peebles
in two 'four in hand brakes,' the Baptist Church travelled
to Habbies Howe and the Church of Christ Bible Class went
to Gullane. Every trip took a musician or two, or even the
silver band, to entertain the happy travellers who raced,
danced, played and picnicked as long as they were able.
Back home, a popular entertainment for men was provided
at regular Sunday afternoon concerts organised by the P.S.A.
Brotherhood in the Lothian Halls, P.S.A. stood for 'Pleasant
Sunday Afternoon.' This is the report in the Dalkeith Advertiser
of one meeting. "The president, Mr. Walkie, presided
over a good attendance on Sunday afternoon when Mr. Moffat's
orchestra as usual opened the proceedings with spirited
selections. The Rev. Robert Ballantyne, M.A. Peebles, in
the course of a straight talk to the men as man to man,
pointed out the sure evil consequences that would ensure
to anyone indulging in strong drink. He urged upon his hearers
the value and importance of total abstinence. Mr. Welsh,
Musselburgh, rendered two sacred solos with an expression
and power that evoked the heartiest appreciation of his
hearers. Rev. A. Hardie read the lesson and conducted the
devotions, while the President thanked speaker and singers
in the name of the meeting." After the picture house
opened in 1915 the P.S.A. meetings were held there for many
years.
A big occasion in 1913 was the first annual Children's
Gala Day. Eighteen hundred children in their best clothes
assembled in the public park before marching in procession
proudly round the village, led by the Lothian Silver Band.
Prizes were awarded to the children carrying the best floral
bouquets. The procession finished up at Victona Park where
the children enjoyed sports and refreshments.
A lot of miners enlisted during the First World War. the
Durham Light Intantry took over the Lothian Halls and the
Band Hall was also commandeered. Many people worked to raise
money for the war effort. There was the Our Heroes Fund
for Newbattle Parish, a P.O.W. Fund, the National Relief
Fund, the Red Cross and there were Christmas War Parcels
to be sent to every local man on active service. At home,
the Newtongrange Volunteers were organised by Mungo MacKay.
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