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From: "Trena" <>
Subject: Re: [MIDLOTHIAN] Literacy in Scotland
Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2007 19:29:43 -0400
References: <003001c7aae5$ca4c01c0$334a65da@SHAWFAMILYCOMP>


----- Original Message -----
From: "John Shaw"
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2007 6:30 PM
Subject: [MIDLOTHIAN] Literacy in Scotland
***snipped***

> Scotland had an ingrained culture of promoting education for all it's
> people well before the rest of the world.
> Arthur Herman's "The Scottish Enlightenment" is well worth the read.

My Mum use to tell us the exact same. "A Scottish education is second to
none." When I lived in Scotland, as well as on subsquent trips over, I
learned more regarding just how well educated 'ordinary folk' were. I
recall going to a museum south (I think it was) of Glasgow, where I believe
tin was mined. Some of the original buildings are still there, one being an
impressive lending library. Apparently the wealthy owner of the mine put it
together so the miners and their families had books to read. He'd also
started a school for the children of the miners. My mind is a little fuzzy
on the exact details, but I believe it was some time during the 1700s.

My great-gran's penmanship came as a surprise to me. Her hand writing is
beautiful. Here in Canada, she was left widowed in 1899 with 9 children to
support (my grandfather was only 5y, with a younger sister). Granny opened
a store in her home which she operated for over 40 years. She bought a fair
bit of land, then built several houses on it and held the mortgages for each
(3 are still standing). She kept all the books herself (my aunt has one)
and wrote her own will. I was quite amazed to see how neat and tidy
everything was, with no erasing, cross-outs etc. It was our understanding
she didn't come from a wealthy background, but from seeing her bookkeeping,
I was convinced she had to have had more than the just basics of reading and
writing. Her father was a railway worker (her marriage registry in 1875
Glasgow) but a 'hawker' on the 1881. Have since learned her maternal
grandfather had been a school master.

The majority of my Scottish ancestors (post-1855 in particular) signed their
own names in the registry books, whereas most of the English ones (husband's
as well) made their mark 'X' (post-1837).

Toni ~ Ontario

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