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From an article:
STATISTICS OF SELKIRKSHIRE. By Mr James Hogg, “the Ettrick Shepherd"...
I have no hesitation in pronouncing the
Galashiels manufacturers an honour to their country, and men who are
entitled to all confidence and encouragement. For the rapid improvement
that they have made, they have been a good deal indebted to their chief
proprietor, Scott of Gala, who has always behaved towards them with a
great deal of public spirit and liberality. But they have been far more
indebted to their late pastor the Rev. Dr Douglas, and Mr George Craig.
This last gentleman, being a native of Galashiels, and deeply interested
in its prosperity, and being likewise Gala's factor, and the original
banker of the town, has always stood a stronghold to the manufacturers
in time of need. It is needless to deny that these two have been the
making of Galashiels. It has lost the one, and when it loses the other,
his place will never be supplied.
George (1783-1853) is known for the George
Craig Bridge in Galashiels which was named after him in 2010. His house
in Galashiels is not marked by a plaque, although the building does bear
an inscription that Sir Walter Scott did some of his banking there. That
is one clue to Craig’s identity. He is also discussed in Robert Hall’s
History of Galashiels (1898) as being an important figure in the history
of the burgh. That is true but what Hall did not appreciate, and no one
did until recently, is Craig’s wider importance across the eastern
Borders.
The rediscovery of some of Craig’s letter books, running from 1821 until
1840, has revealed a rich history of his activities as a writer (law
agent), banker, insurance agent, baron bailie and notary public. He
worked as a sole practitioner until he took on, as partner, William
Rutherford from Jedburgh, who later became the first chief magistrate of
Galashiels.
A selection of Craig’s letters will form the substance of these blogs as
part of a project by Professor John Finlay of the School of Law of the
University of Glasgow which is funded by the ESRC in collaboration with
the Scottish Borders Archive and Local History Service. The aim is to
illustrate some of Craig’s activities through discussion, transcription
and digitisation. The wider project involves the indexing of Craig’s
letters which are now held by the Archive. An exhibition is planned of
the letter-books themselves in the summer of 2022.
Craig’s correspondence has much to tell us about the Borders way of life
in the first half of the nineteenth century. A huge amount of detail can
be found in them. He corresponded with hundreds of people in all walks
of life, from weavers and tenant farmers to Sir Walter Scott, the duke
of Buccleuch and the laird of Torwoodlee. Amongst his letters we find
out about local textiles, farming practice, emigration to the Americas
and New South Wales, disputes amongst neighbouring parishes and everyday
life across the region. They provide a fascinating insight into the
activities of a lawyer and banker at an important time of social and
industrial change and will become a significant additional asset to the
impressive collections held by the Archive.In literary and intellectual
terms, Craig lived in the Romantic Era. He himself thought he lived in
‘the age of adventure’ and he spent much of his time traversing the
Borders to visit the properties of his major clients, such as George
Fairholme of Greenknowe, Professor Alexander Monro III at Cockburn, and
doing business at the Borders Fairs. He also superintended Gala House on
behalf of John Scott, the laird of Gala whose factor he was.
Craig was the son of William Craig (1753-1803), the first bank agent to
be established in Galashiels, and his wife Jean Hall (b. 1755) from
Stow. The Craig family presence in the burgh can be traced back at least
as far as George's grandparents, William Craig and Margaret Donaldson,
in the early part of the 18th century.
William Craig worked as factor to the laird of Towoodlee, who referred
to him in correspondence as ‘my friend Willie Craig’. He was also a
notary public. George was therefore well-placed to take up the reins as
a local banker and law agent when his father died in 1803. With strong
links to local landowners, and a knowledge of local business, animal
husbandry and agriculture, Craig became a figure of importance in
Galashiels at a relatively young age. His importance to the burgh is
reflected in the discussion of him in Robert Hall’s History of
Galashiels (Galashiels, 1898). While we see in Craig a figure of
authority, closely connected to the local heritors, he was also a
public-spirited individual who took a keen interest in developing the
local economy, particularly farming and the textile industry, and also
local workers. One aspect of that was his establishment of one of
Scotland’s early Savings Banks (illustrated) which he ran from his
office from 1815, in conjunction with his role as local agent for the
Leith Banking Company.
What Craig’s letters demonstrate, as well as the breadth of his
engagement with people from all walks of life, is the nature of his
everyday working life. During the currency of the collaborative project
with the archive, this blog will be posting transcriptions and
commentary on some of Craig’s letters – a source that has much to reveal
not only about Galashiels, but about the eastern Borders generally as
well as their links to the world beyond.
Learn more about him at:
https://tdy.lol/qLWLP |
