RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Midlothian => Topic started by: marcie dean on Tuesday 20 October 09 19:14 BST (UK)
-
Does any one know who the original owners were of the kilt makers on Princes Street and how long ago the business was started. If I knew the address I could look it up in occupations.
marcie
-
Do you mean the one at 95 Princes Street?
Personally I tend to think of the ones on either the Mile or George Street.
Nell
-
Hi Nell,
There is a reason for this madness. When I was fourteen my nan and grandad brought me to scotland with my aunt susan , their daughter and we stayed in Leith with Grandads brother and my second cousins Diana and Valerie in Leith. We walked down Princes Street and my grandad took me into this kilt makers and asked to see someone. They shook hands and hugged as if they were either long lost friends or family. He introduced me, but I cannot remember his name. I need to trace the family who owned the shop and then do a census search to see if any of the names ring a bell.
marcie
-
Unfortunately, occupants of retail premises on Princes Street can and do change with amazing frequency. The shop at 95 Princes Street is Hector Russell aka The Kiltmaker. The company actaully belongs to the Edinburgh Woollen Mill, so I'm not sure this would be the right place. It would be unwise to assume that the place remained in the same hands from 1901 (the last census you could search) to when you were a teenager. A family firm could easily have been taken over by a larger chain. Independent kilt-makers tend to found in less frenetic streets in Edinburgh.
Nell
-
This shop had/has steps which led down to a board listing surnames, supposingly showing which was "your" tartan.
An increasing number of Japanese names were added in recent years.
Hibee
-
Have just been along the street for a look.
That comical notice board "If Your Name Is Here We Have Your Tartan!" (which I remember for maybe 50-odd years) has gone, and the downstairs shop now sells whisky.
-
the downstairs shop now sells whisky.
I sincerely hope it's mostly single malt - or is it 'whisky' but made in Japan ???
Nell
-
God you make me giggle where is all this humour coming from. What would you call a whiskey which is Japanese? And How Come a Japanese person can where a tartan I thought they had their own dress samurai.?
No offence meant peoples.
marcie
-
Hibee
I cannot imagine it at all. Looking at the board and deciding that they want to belong to a certain tartan, even if they have the right to wear it. Considering Scottish people travel so far away from home I actually would not be surprised to see Japanese and Chinese in kilts, although there is research that states kilts originated in India. Same as the bagpipes. ;)
marcie. by the way I do not hold with prejudice so hope that I have not offended anyone.
-
I guess it's all pretty harmless, and if folk want to believe they "have a right" to wear a certain tartan and it makes them happy, well, why not?
But it's been well established that all this stuff about each clan wearing its own tartan, like a badge of identity, was all dreamed up in the 19th century. It must have been very good for the factories that wove tartan-patterned cloth.
In the phone book for 1968 there was a "Tartan Gift Shop" at 95 Princes Street, with another next-door at 96, and "The Tartan Shops" at 96a. I hope this doesn't complicate your search!
-
A few seconds footage of the original Tartan Gift Shop at 95/96 Princes Street at
www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=35969
about 2 mins 40 into the clip
Definitely made kilts - my sister worked there around 1970 measuring people for them but was a "Saturday girl" and can't remember who owned the shop or names of any staff - but perhaps it will help you identify the shop you visited.
-
Hi "AnnieB"
That would have been 3 years after I went up there with nan and grandad. This is 32yrs ago or more.
::)
By the way, the B at the end of your name would not stand for Brown would it? Another of my family names.
thank you for the film, enjoyed a lot. many memories.
-
Was on Google looking for image of front of this shop when I found this thread. I doubt the initial enquirer is still in need of the info, but just in case she is, I worked there late 1970's and can confirm it was a family business. It was owned by Archie Sheil/Shiel, (not sure of spelling). 95-96 were the basement shop and the two floors above, they were all departments of the same shop. 96a was a side door to the same shop, it is now the only way in to the store. Don't know when it changed hands