78550

Generation: E

Jas Carruthers

Margaret Brechin

Children:

• Mary Carruthers
• George Carruthers

Jas was from Bearsden. In Australian Army for War I. They lived at Lonachuan from 1921 to 1924, then moved to Canada. 1115, Villaire Avenue, Windsor, Ontario.

Margaret Carruthers now married to Frank Brown who has a 12 roomed house an hour or two from Windsor, Ontario.

RLM:

I had exchanged two letters with her last year, about the time her husband died from "a stroke", and in the last two weeks I had renewed my invitation for her, plus daughter, to visit us in Wolverhampton. A reply from her suggested she would arrive sometime next week.

But two nights ago we got a phone call, with some distress note in it, from them. They had been travelling from Edinburgh and feeling not first class had decided to stay in a local hotel for the night, have a wash and rest and visit us next day. Not knowing the town they asked a stranger for the name of an hotel and the taxi man took them to a slum dwelling in Waterloo Raod, where the man and wife were both drunk and the house was dirty. They were naturally scared, sat on their luggage and finally got a phone call through to us. The new taxi man did not know our district and their apprehensions grew. I found the taxi at the end of the cul-de-sac in which we lived, and guided them in. They both needed tea, in large doses, but soon settled in. Tremendous relief on their faces.

The mother age 69, the daughter 36.

The mother, Margaret Carruthers was spare-built, looked her age, was active, alert, very conversational, quickly at ease, had a typical Glasgow accent, used Scotch words like ourselves. Would not take alcohol as she had lost her gall-bladder. She gave us stories of a three months stay at Lonachuan in girlhood, where she stayed with her Grandmother there, just before 1916. It was impossible to remember them all, but one about Hugh Macpherson the Smuggler must get a separate page.

In War I, Margaret worked in munitions in Colvilles, sometimes on shells, sometimes cutting lengths of rails. About the end of that war she married James Carruthers, a Glasgow man who had returned from Australia, wounded. They settled at Lonachuan to see if they could make a living there, my Aunt having died in 1916. The place had been neglected, i.e. after my aunt's death. They did their best from 1921 to 1924, but it was no use. Their one horse died, they had no cash resources, and prospects of raising a family there were dim. Their son, George, was born there, the first birth at Lonachuan since 1860, and the last. They emigrated to Canada in 1924, and in spite of difficulties have prospered. Margaret's present address is 1115, Villaire Avenue, Windsor, Ontario.

Mrs. Carruthers has two children, George, born about 1921, and Mary (Mrs. Martin) born 1933. Both have psoriasis, and there is not history of such in the rest of the family.

George was a mechanical draughtsman, served six years during War II, and was in the landings in Sicily and Italy. Came home, married a girl from the village in Sussex in which he had been billetted. Is now a Customs Officer, location not recorded by me, but somewhere in Canada, and has two children.

Mary, Mrs. Martin, was a splendid girl, mother of 8 children. Strongly built, very alert, responsive but quiet (the old lady talked a lot). She had been a comptometer operator. A photo of her three sons, five daughters and husband showed a splendid family group. She was able quite easily to accompany her mother on this holiday, because her husband and the oldest children could "cope with all the problems".

Her husband is Presbyterian, has something to do with insurance, or a factory - I forget which. I learned or heard so much.

I took mother and daughter round Bridgenorth, and four old churches, showed them the beautiful countryside of Shropshire and Staffordshire. They enjoyed it all. Splendid guests they were.

The Blacks look a tough independent lot, from what I could gather about their past history, with a good sense of humour and plenty of courage.