PEACE PROCLAIMED AT BERWICK

On Saturday morning, at the Town hall, at about 11.20, before the Mayor and Mayoress, the Sheriff, and a few other ladies and gentlemen, on the steps, and a large crowd at the foot, Mayor’s Sergeant Blakey read the King’s Proclamation of Peace, and after that the proclamation of Special peace services in the churches on Sunday. The reading of the proclamations was preceded by a Royal salute blown by two K.O.S.B. buglers in khaki (Corpl. Watson and Drummer Hart). After the Mayor had intimated that a united service would be held in the Playhouse, “God Save the King” was sung with great gusto, and then Sergeant Blakey accompanied by the Deputy Town Clerk (Mr A. Aird), and the two buglers, set out in a motor (Master Bellringer Payne riding in front) to proclaim peace at the following places. The peace services in church were only proclaimed at the Town Hall.

Dr. Maclagan’s Monument

Corner of Tweed Street and Castlegate

Castle Terrace and Castlegate

Foot of High Greens

Foot of Low Greens

Foot of Lower Ravensdowne

Sandgate (before Corn Exchange)

An early 20th century photograph of the Tweedmouth end of the old bridge where one of the peace proclamations was made. BRO 2103/4/2/21b

Tweedmouth Bridge End

Harrow Inn, Tweedmouth

Blenheim Hotel, Spittal

Spittal Forge

This must be the first time a motor car has been used in Berwick for a proclamation of peace. The announcement at so many points quite close together is a relic of days when the dissemination of news was not nearly so easy as it has been this last hundred years.

THE BOROUGH’S FREEDOM FOR WAR SERVICES

Councillor Anderson’s motion that the Freedom of the Borough should be conferred on the Mayor, the Sheriff, Lt,-Col. Scott Jackson, and Lt.-Col Liddell, and all who have served overseas, at sea, and in the air, will be welcomed throughout the Borough. It is no more than their due. Many have done their best or their country within the island, but none will grudge that this particular honour which is being conferred on Berwick’s soldiers and sailors is confined to those who have risked everything to defend their country overseas. We hope that as many of them as possible will join in the dinners at the end of next week, and if they fail to do justice to them, we are confident that it will not be for lack of good things.

LOCAL NEWS

RELICS OF WAR AT THE BARRACKS – On Wednesday a Trench Mortar captured from the Germans by the 1st Battalion, K.O.S.B., arrived in the town and was handed over to the “Stores” at Berwick Depot, where it will await until the battalion claims it. At present there is quite a “menagerie” at the Depot, including several kinds of Hun machine guns, six of which belong to the 1st Battalion, six to the 2nd Battalion, and two to the 6th Battalion. Up to the present there is no immediate danger of any of the Battalions applying for them.

NOTES FROM SPITTAL

CHURCH PARADE

On Sunday morning last the local branch of the Comrades of the Great War responded to the Rev. J. H. Cuthbertson’s invitation and held a Church parade to St. John’s, Spittal. The Parade was in charge of Commandant Pattison, who was assisted by the Secretary, Mr R. St. G. Tait. Scremerston Band, under Bandmaster Whitfield, also attended, and took part in the musical portion of the service.

The Scremerston Brass Band which took part in the musical portion of a special peace service in St John’s Church, Spittal. Berwick Record Office – BRO 1753-2a.

About 100 Comrades turned out and there were also on parade a section of the Northumberland Fusilier cadets. Capt. C. L. Fraser, O.C. 4th V.B.N.F., and Lieuts. McCreath and Tweedie were also present.

Special Peace Sermons and prayers being ordered in all Churches, Mr Cuthbertson devoted himself almost entirely to giving thanks to God for the great blessing of peace which they fervently hoped would be an enduring one. He also brought out in the course of his remarks the spirit of brotherhood which should be the symbol of the Comrades and said he hoped that organisations such as theirs would prove a strengthening force in the years which lay before them.

Suitable hymns were sung, in which the men heartily joined while at the conclusion of the service, the band led in the National Anthem.

The Parade was reformed outside the Church and headed by the band, marched to the Ferry Landing where the men were dismissed.

BERWICK AND FOULDEN DIVORCE CASE

In the Court of Sessions on Thursday, before Lord Anderson, Robert Hunter Lees, provision manager, 76, Meigle Street, Galashiels, and an employee of Messrs R. Dodds & Sons, grocers, Berwick, was granted a divorce against Grace M’Cormack or Lees, Foulden, Burnbank, Berwickshire, on the grounds of infidelity.

“I do not love you now,” wrote Mrs Lees to her husband, while he was in France with his regiment. Parties were married in July, 1917, and in August he left for France. Mrs Lees had given birth to an illegitimate child in January 1919.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 24 DECEMBER 1915

FAILING TO EDUCATE

Jane Williamson, widow, Berwick, was charged with having failed to send her son John, aged 10 years, to school, as required by law. She pleaded guilty.

Mr Thos. Barker, School Attendance Officer, said the boy was a pupil at the Roman Catholic School, when he did attend, but which was not often. He had made 22 attendances out of 144, therefore being no fewer than 122 times absent. The boy was neglected by the mother, and since October 15 he had not attended school once.

Accused made a statement that she had been frequently out of the town and had visited Edinburgh several times to see her daughter who was in the Infirmary there.

Mr Barker said the case had been four times before the Education Committee prior to proceedings being taken.

The Chief Constable having been asked by the bench to state what he knew of the boy, said the mother went about the countryside collecting old clothes and selling plants. The boy was simply running about wild and the mother evidently thought she could put everyone at defiance.

Mr McCreath (who presided in the absence of the Mayor) – Have you anything to say. This is something horrid, neglecting your child like this.

Accused replied that she had nothing further to say.

In passing sentence of 7s 6d, or seven days, Mr McCreath said she must really consider her child in a matter of this kind. She must see that the boy in future went regularly to school, and should her case ever come up before the Bench again she would be more severely dealt with.

FROM THE TRENCHES TO FREEDOM

On Wednesday morning, Corpl Chas Mace, 7th Northumberland Fusiliers, third son of Mr Charles Mace, joiner and undertaker, Berwick, was admitted to the Freedom of the Burgh. Corporal Mace is home at present upon short leave from the front and took this opportunity of entering the Freedom. The Mayor, Ald. J W Plenderleith in welcoming Corporal Mace said he had already earned promotion in the regiment to which he belonged, and they hoped that might soon be still further advanced, also that in any vocation in life to which he might be called, be it civil or military, he should continue to uphold the traditions of the ancient Burgh.

PIPER LAIDLAW, V C.

Loos Hero’s Welcome in Northumberland

Piper Daniel Logan Laidlaw, V.C., the first Berwickshire native and the first member of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers to win the V.C. in the war, was received with much enthusiasm on the occasion of his return from hospital to his home at Doddington. Before leaving Wooler Station he took the opportunity to urge on the crowd assembled the need for more men, so that the Germans might be pushed back in France at the earliest possible moment.

Under the village Cross at Doddington the vicar (Rev. J. G. Shotton) presented an address of welcome.

The Hon. F. W. Lambton of Fenton, formerly of the Coldstream Guards, said Piper Laidlaw had shown not only valour, but also initiative and touch of genius which enabled a man to do the right thing at the right moment. Initiative was one of the symptoms of the true soldier which we wanted to see encouraged and from his own experience in the Army he knew how much the men appreciated it.

After thanking the inhabitants for the address, Piper Laidlaw was carried shoulder high to his own cottage. His wife and four children accompanied him.

All the residents of the village were entertained to tea and a concert, at which Piper Laidlaw played on the pipes “Blue Bonnets over the Border,” with which he rallied his comrades at Loos, and “Standard on the Braes of Mar” with which he accompanied their charge.

Piper Laidlaw is a native of Swinton, Berwickshire, and on his homeward journey to Doddington, he was welcomed by his aged parents, who now live at Whittingham.

PRESENTATION OF LIFEBOAT AWARDS

Postponement of Ceremonial

The ceremonial, under the auspices of the Berwick Branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, of presenting the silver medal to James Jamieson, second coxswain of the Berwick Lifeboat, and who acted as coxswain on the occasion of saving 6 lives from the motor boat, Redhead on Wednesday , November 10th last., the monetary awards to the members of the crew and the Spittal fishermen, who so gallantly assisted in getting the lifeboat into the harbour, as well as a vote of thanks on vellum to the Hon. Secretary, Dr C.L. Fraser, for acting as second coxswain, was to have taken place in Berwick Playhouse on Thursday afternoon (23d instant).

Image 8 - Lifeboat - RNLB Matthew Simpson - Left to Right - Not known, Not known, Not known, John Wood, Knot known, Jack Lough, George Lough, Bartholomew Lough, Thomas Martin (possible), Not known, Not Known, Alex Patterson Lough. — RNLB Matthew Simpson – Left to Right – Not known, Not known, Not known, John Wood, Not known, Jack Lough, George Lough, Bartholomew Lough, Thomas Martin (possible), Not known, Not Known, Alex Patterson Lough.

At the last moment, however, it was decided to postpone the function owing to the limited attendance of the public due to the fact that with the approach of Christmas, there was no usual half holiday.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 11 JULY 1919