Lady Munro’s Christmas gift of The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes to David Macdonald 1926

[Calleva]

Recently I found a first edition of The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes by Beatrix Potter in a charity shop in Nairn.

It had been gifted by Lady Munro to David Macdonald Christmas 1926.

There’s a lot of information online about Lady Munro e.g.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205380332

https://www.womenaustralia.info/entries/munro-ferguson-helen-hermione/

But who was David Macdonald?

Looking forward to hearing from the fantastic RC sleuths, and hoping there may be a descendant who would like the book.

Stuart

[Calleva]

Recently I found a first edition of The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes by Beatrix Potter in a charity shop in Nairn.
……….

Looking forward to hearing from the fantastic RC sleuths, and hoping there may be a descendant who would like the book.

Stuart

Unless of course the descendant put the book in the charity shop in the first place! 😁

[AlanBoyd]

I searched "Lady Munro" in BNA, looking at 1926, thinking that I might find a Christmas prize-giving. I haven't found anything specific, but there is clearly a Lady Munro who is very active that year at local events in the Airlie area (cake sales, baby shows). She seems to be the wife of Sir Torquil Munro of Lindertis, Kirriemuir, who had succeeded to his estates in 1925.

Obviously this is quite a distance from Nairn, and it isn't the same Lady Munro that you have researched.

[CaroleW]

Whereabouts in Scotland did David live?  Any idea of his age?

Have a look on SP & there are 6 David MacDonald births between 1918-1920 & that doesn’t include all those with middle names

Needle in a haystack I think & I tend to agree with your reply having done 2 house clearances for deceased relatives in recent years. 

[CaroleW]

The books reading age was between 3 & 6 years so revised SP births search 1920-1923 gives 7 plain David MacDonald’s & 25 others

How are you going to determine which is the right one?

[giblet]

I'm assuming not related to each other or close due to no "dear David" and just from and not love from.

If Lady munro was wealthy maybe David's father worked for them.

[giblet]

Not sure if this is of any help?? I don't have access to see the whole article.

Published: Thursday 30 December 1926
Newspaper: Kirriemuir Free Press and Angus Advertiser
County: Angus, Scotland

Programme of games, recitations Chrik man carols was carried through. lbwing the evening the chiklren were visited by Sir awl Lady Munro of Litslertis, who presented them with crackers sweets. Before leaving each child received an orange, the gift of Miss M ...

[heywood]

I searched "Lady Munro" in BNA, looking at 1926, thinking that I might find a Christmas prize-giving. I haven't found anything specific, but there is clearly a Lady Munro who is very active that year at local events in the Airlie area (cake sales, baby shows). She seems to be the wife of Sir Torquil Munro of Lindertis, Kirriemuir, who had succeeded to his estates in 1925.

Obviously this is quite a distance from Nairn, and it isn't the same Lady Munro that you have researched.

There are several Christmas snippets in 1920s re Sir Torquil and Lady Munro involving Christmas treats. 1926 though is ‘Crackers sweets’.

[Calleva]

Thank you everyone,

I’ve just realised that another Beatrix Potter first edition, ‘The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse’ from the same charity shop in Nairn has a faint inscription on a front page.

It reads ‘Rosemary Macdonald Moulinard’.

Seems to be in the same handwriting as the other inscription, presumably Lady Munro’s, and I’d be interested to hear what others think.

An i/net source refers to Moulinard House near Tain which hints at a connection to the Lady Munro in the Highlands rather than heywood’s candidate from Kirriemuir.

https://simonrackham.com/pages-sub/private/moulinard-house-scotland.html

If Rosemary and David Macdonald are from the same family this strengthens a case that the two books are from a house clearance as CaroleW speculates.

All thoughts welcome.