The History of Lochee

Old Lochee Book 1911.

From "Lochee" - As it was and is - by Alexander Elliot - 1911

Chapter 5

EDUCATIONAL METHODS IN EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY.

IN the beginning of the nineteenth century, as has been men­tioned, the trend of education in Scotland, as compared with the indifference exhibited towards it in England, was on the whole encouraging, although, at the same time, it must be admitted that its intrinsic value was far from being recognised with that fullness of spirit now extended to it. Attendance at school, in fact, was observed very much in the abstract. The spread of education, too, apart from laxity, was hampered by causes which negatived concentrated effort. People often were influenced much after the views they held on Church doctrine. There was an absence of cohesion; education suffered; and schools were conducted on independent or denominational lines.
Parochial or Parish Schools were supported by adherents of the Church of Scotland, though no bar was put upon the attendance of children of any sect. Dissenters, on the other hand, launched schools of their own, or selected those which most accorded with their beliefs. Adventure Schools, avowing allegiance to no denomination, were common to most neighbourhoods; and Dames' Schools, where the rudiments of knitting and needlework were principally taught, met with varied encouragement. Having regard to the accommodation of preceptor and pupil in rural districts, as pointed out in the case of Liff, responsibility was at a discount. The church and manse might undergo renovation, but the school and schoolmaster's house were allowed to degenerate into a state of picturesque demoralisation. If it has been the proud boast of the Scottish people that their academic standard was worthy of its high reputation, then it must be conceded that the ground for that boast was due to the efforts of their preceptors, and the desire of youth to rise superior to their surroundings. Despite these blemishes, and the shortcomings of an irresponsible system, a good all-round education was imparted. Taking them all over, olden-time teachers, whether or not temperamentally or physically fitted for their duties, proved sound instructors. Many of them had aspired to higher professional careers, as Scottish Universities can testify. Realising when too late that either they were not gifted with the indispensable qualifi­cations demanded, or finding, after years of weary waiting, that the necessary influence to secure an appointment was beyond their reach, they reluctantly, but perforce, resorted to teaching as a means of livelihood. There were others who from natural aptitude became successful, though their attainments often were far from high. Comprehensively, however, the preceptors a generation or two since were men whose personal character commanded respect, and who seldom neglected an opportunity of instilling into the minds of their pupils those high ideals that had been their own incentives.

The sterling qualities of the teachers of Lochee often have been acknowledged. Pitalpin, Mid Street, Liff Road, St Ann Street, each had its seminary, either Denominational or Adventure. Perhaps the most important were those in Liff Road, which was under the auspices of the Established Church; St Ann Street, where successively two schools were managed by the United Presbyterians; and a school similarly supervised by the Free Church in the hall attached to it.
St Margaret's Episcopal Schools, begun in 1870, for several years were carried on in a small hall below the church in Marshall Street. In 1875 the United Presbyterian Church School in Balgay Street.was purchased by the Rev. J. A. Dunbar-Dunbar, the incumbent, to which the Episcopal pupils were transferred. Soon after the church in Ancrum Road was opened, schools conforming to modern ideas were erected in the vicinity.
The extensive range of buildings in St Mary's Lane, which have been frequently augmented, were erected specially for the training of children connected with St Mary's Roman Catholic Church. These schools are referred to in the note on the progress of Catholicism in Lochee.
Half-time pupils were taught either by arrangement with some of the ordinary schools or independently. The latter was the method adopted by the proprietors of Camperdown Jute Works. At first the classes were accommodated in Weavers' Hall, and afterwards within the works. In 1884 a well-equipped school was erected by the firm of Messrs Cox Brothers in Union Street (Bright Street). Pupils belonging to other public works attended South Road School. In July 1896 the whole system was rearranged, the School Board, as the responsible educational authority, undertaking the control. The Board, some years after it was established, erected schools on an extensive scale in Ancrum Road, Liff Road, and South Road.

AN OLDEN TIME ROADWAY.

One of the oldest approaches linking Dundee with neighbour­ing districts was that which led to Coupar Angus. To the ordinary observer the spacious thoroughfare which now winds its sinuous way Strathmore ward may seem to have been from time immemorial the common channel of communication. That, how­ever, is a misconception. The present highway, though not exactly modern, along with other turnpikes, was constructed about the end of the eighteenth century. Prior to that date the roads in Angus—indeed, all over Scotland—were very much in their primitive state. Several known as military roads, it is true, were projected after the Rising of 1715. These were few in number, and it was not until the Rebellion of 1745, when the utmost difficulty was experienced in effecting the transport of war material, that the expediency of providing facilities for easier transit claimed the serious attention of Government. The construction of great routes, as a sequence, was thereafter proceeded with. As these, however, partook largely of the nature of an experiment, their laying out left much to be desired. General Wade, to whom this work was entrusted in its earlier stages, regarded the project solely from a military stand­point. From the nature of his calling, linked to the unsettled state of the country, it could not be expected he would take any other view. The commercial aspect, which comprehended the development of our natural resources, in the circumstances would acknowledged that its re-adaptation was a commendable piece of work. In effecting this due allowance was made for irregularity of surface, and a width of fully twenty feet was allowed. As the route is still distinctly traceable, this can be verified in Lorne Street and in the south policies of Camperdown, a part of which it traversed. At Camperdown its outline is well defined, and the road appears to have been protected on either side by a stout "feal" dyke, a consolidated defence of moss, stone, and earth. It had been principally over this route that much of the landward traffic was conveyed to and from the burgh. As an avenue of transport it was circuitous, but it served the purpose of the time. Vehicles, owing to the state of the roads, were scarce. Merchandise of all kinds, therefore, was mostly carried in panniers or leathern receptacles slung over the backs of ponies and hacks. Each driver had charge of six horses, and a cavalcade often consisted of four times that number, the leading horse generally being provided with bridle bells, the tinkling of which acted as a guide to those following in its wake. No matter the nature of the commodity, 256 lbs. was the customary load for an average panniered horse. It is known that beds of slate for long had been excavated in the Sidlaws and the Glens of Ogilvy and Denoon. The pack-horse was the only medium by which the material could be transported to a given, destination. Old Cupar Angus Road, on the whole, was a convenient access to the town from the west, and varied was the traffic which was carried over its surface for many a long day.

OLD ROAD DESCRIBED.

An outline of this olden time highway is herewith presented. In a map of Angus of date 1678 its conformation is delineated, and it is also described in a comprehensive survey by Taylor and Skinner, published by Act of Parliament, 1776, whilst in the surveys issued by the elder and younger Crawfords, of dates 1776 and 1793 respectively, it is distinctly defined from High Street to Logie House. From these sources it is gathered that the road debouched from High Street and traversed Overgate, West Port, and Scouringburn.

Thence it went by a line now marked by Milnbank Road, near the western terminal of which there flowed a famous spring popularly termed "Logie Spout." From that point it turned northward and skirted the original entrance to the Mansion of Logie on the west. Passing through the steading of old Logie Farm it proceeded by way of south side of Logie Churchyard, and wended westward along the route now known as Rosebery Street. Crossing into Muirton Road it trended northwards, and entered East and West Mid Street (Lorne Street). Taylor Street was made at a later date, and the old road ran at an angle through the adjoining ground on the west till it joined Liff Road. From this junction it continued its course a few yards beyond the top of Buttar's Loan, where it merged into the south policies of Camperdown. Still holding north-westerly and passing the old house of Lundie (not far from the present mansion), it struck a line near the "Roundie" at Birkhill, a few hundred yards west of which several tributary roads branched off in other directions. The main road, however, kept a straight course onward, and its route, well-defined and plainly marked by the remains of old moss-grown walls, lay through the Five-Mile Wood, Seven-Mile Wood, and Muirloch Wood. In the latter the angle which turned into the approach to Lundie Castle and its continuation northward is plainly discernible. In obscure times the road described bore the name of the "Pilgrim's Path"— in the days when pilgrimages were made by the devout to the shrines of St Clement in Dundee and to the sacred fountain of St Francis in the Meadows, one of the holy wells of Forfarshire. Dundee High School covers part of the ground upon which this whilom devoutly cherished fountain stood.

MODERN HIGHWAY.

In no part does the new route cover the lines of the old. Care seems to have been taken to meet changing conditions. When the necessity for a more comprehensive avenue arose the requirements of improved modes of conveyance had to be taken into consideration. The clumsy methods formerly in vogue gave place to others better adapted to and more in conformity with growing needs. The former roads in the long run either became discarded, or, like old Coupar Angus Road, underwent recon­struction. The pack-horse system lingered a few years, but as road conveyance improved it, too, gave way to modernity. The great new road to Lochee and Strathmore, projected in the last decades of the eighteenth, century, was designed on ample lines. From its starting-point at the Wards till it reaches the old Abbey at Coupar Angus it presents one of the finest highways in Scotland. In its formation care was exercised to eliminate the faults of the ancient road, to secure a more direct route, and as far as possible to avoid heavy gradients. Hence the divergence by way of the Wards, the cutting up of such beauty spots as the gardens of Dudhope, the Den of Logie, the gowany braes of Logiebank, and the intersection of the woods of Camperdown.

HOUSES OF REFRESHMENT-HALTS BY THE WAY.

Houses of refreshment, as might be expected, were not uncommon along the old highway. One of these stopping places was known as the "Halfway House." The vestry of St Thomas' Church, Lochee Road, usurps its place. Situated between Lochee and Dundee, it was a favourite rendezvous of wayfarers, particularly drovers, carriers, and pack-horse men in their latter days. An ancient caravanserai of the same type flourished in Mid Street, and went under the name of "The Milehouse." It was occasionally frequented by theatrical companies from Dundee, and in an erection opposite Thespian performances ran for a week at a time. Subsequently "The Milehouse” was removed to a more suitable corner farther east. Near Brewhead another alehouse was encountered on the lands of Camperdown. For many years a place of this description at the west end of LifF Road, near Pitalpin, was much frequented; and as showing the temper of the time, as well as illustrating the paucity of accommodation for a given purpose, it is recorded that a Sunday school was held in one of the rooms for quite a long period. Many stirring scenes full of Scottish humour, it is said, occurred in the environments of this house. These quaint resorts, having served their day and generation, have long since passed away.

SETTLERS IN LOCHEE—CUSTOMS AND MERRYMAKINGS.

In the long ago Lochee seems to have had an attraction for outsiders. Before South Road was opened, the ground along the line of the burn on both sides from the boundary of old Coupar Angus Road—that is to say, from about what is now the junction of South Road with Bank Street—westward almost to Church Street, was filled in with small crofts five acres in extent. It was on these crofts that most of the incomers settled. As the demand for ground for building purposes increased, the crofts were sub-feued. Hence the frequency of narrow lanes that now intersect that populous part of Lochee. The Burn, clear and always in stream, was a favourite washing-ground, and after it became unsuited for that essential operation the large flat stones upon which clothes were subjected to the process of "beetling" remained intact. In those bygone days the pleasures of life were largely confined to the home circle, and in Lochee as elsewhere the tedium of the long winter evenings was beguiled by house-to-house visitation, where story and song and gossip played agreeable interludes to the steady birr of the spinning-wheel, which was the invariable companion of the dames of that genera­tion. Holidays were infrequent. Han'sel Monday rather than New Year was a favourite time for merrymaking, though Hogmanay was observed with customary zest. Hallowe'en, with all its attendant old-world glamour and harmless diversion, held the premier place in festive gatherings, and barns were in general demand as that alluring night drew near. Though Hallowe'en was specially prized by young people, those of maturer years took as much delight in the rollicking fun as the juniors; and there is no doubt that, apart from the superstitious elements with which the festival is interwoven, many a fate was settled for better, for worse, at these joyous, happy, hilarious assemblies. "Guising," too, was a famous pastime amongst youth about Hallowe'en time, and as kailyards were attached to most habitations, the habit of raiding them was seldom neglected.

Illumination, too, in those times was primitive in its simplicity. Candles were in vogue, but the antique crusie was preferred. This simple device, which was indiscriminately used in the home and in the workshop, was commonly made of malleable or cast iron, and proud was the housewife who could boast of one of brass. Street lighting in the suburbs was a luxury undreamt of; but there was a couthie custom, after dark, of accompanying visitors part of the way home, and lighting their footsteps by the aid of a barn lanthorn.

THE SCOTCHMAN AND HIS KIRK—SACRAMENTAL OBSERVANCES.

An outstanding phase in the character of the average Scotchman, be his shortcomings few or many, is the staunch attachment he has for his Kirk. In that respect he is a pro­nounced individualist, rugged, it may be, but sincere, according to his limitations. Though a scrutiny of his Sunday attendance would reveal a lapse in continuity he would not care to acknow­ledge, nevertheless there were certain services from which he was seldom absent. The Sacrament, which took place twice a year according to time-honoured custom, he observed with scrupulous punctilio. Those who refrained or neglected to recognise divine ordinances—more so in the past than in the present—were classed amongst the profane, and their respectability suffered, no matter how upright their behaviour in other respects might be. The Sacramental period extended over four separate days. It began on Thursday as a Fast. It was continued over Saturday, which was known as Preparation Day. Sunday was hallowed beyond all days. The best instincts of the people were grappled with, and heart-searchings and aspirations after a better life for the time being predominated. Monday—Thanksgiving Day—brought the ceremonial to a close.

On Fast Days all business was more or less suspended, though, as the seasons came round, opportunity was taken to till gardens or reap or sow by those who owned ground. On Thursday, Saturday, and Monday religious services were conducted in all the churches, and shops were understood to be closed at stated times. On Sunday worship began at the usual hour, and impressive, wholesome, and vigorous it was, after which the Communion tables were "fenced." The "fencing," a unique ecclesiastical custom in Scotland, whereby those who might be guilty of obliqueness or indecorum were warned of the grave responsibility they incurred by partaking of the Com­munion, was one of the most solemn parts of the service. No matter how scathing, no matter even how personal the denuncia­tions of the preacher might be, he was listened to with the utmost respect. In fact, the more he animadverted upon the sins of omission and the flagrance of commission the higher he rose in the estimation of the people. At the Sacramental feast every member and adherent attended church if possible, although many of them probably might not enter it again during the ensuing six months. Owing to the influx the Communion was dispensed in relays, churches generally being too limited to accommodate all who wished to conform to the rite. In rural districts, where the churches were small, tents were erected in adjacent fields or in the churchyard if the space was sufficient. If the dispensation took place within a church a number of pews in the area were temporarily displaced, and tables, covered with spotless linen, substituted.

OLD-FASHIONED PSALMODY—PRECENTOR AN IMPORTANT FUNCTIONARY.

In those days, as is well known, psalmody was conducted without extraneous aid. Musical instruments in Presbyterian churches were unthought of, and when such a phase of the leaven of unrighteousness was mentioned the idea was received with vehement repugnance, as it seemed to savour of prelacy. Next to the minister the precentor was the most important functionary. At these impressive seasons, after the preliminary service was over, whilst exercising his vocation, he intoned his verses, that is, he read two lines at a time in a loud, drawling, sing-song voice, and followed by impressively singing them. This enabled those who were filing from and into the tables to accompany him without having recourse to the Psalm-book, which under the circumstances would have been inconvenient.

On these occasions, too, the work entailed being abnormally heavy, the resident clergyman was assisted by others from a neighbour­ing parish, these gentlemen officiating in turn. The question of refreshment was no light matter. People from a distance brought food with them. In the large centres of population the inconvenience was not felt; but in the country it was different. It was therefore customary to resort to the village inn, where the menu was not by any means inviting. If the inn was crowded, another method was adopted. A bottle of two-penny beer, a strong heady beverage, was procured; and it was not uncommon to witness, fair weather or foul, groups of people sitting on memorial stones in the churchyard enjoying their simple cheer of cheese and oatcake to the accompaniment of ale quaffed from wooden bickers or coggies. In towns and in rural districts licensed houses were allowed to open at stated hours on Sundays. It is questionable if this privilege conduced to decorum. At all events the custom continued till the adoption of the Forbes McKenzie Act, 15th August 1853.

STRANGER WORKERS DRAFTED INTO LOCHEE.

Whilst hand-loom weaving was the staple industry in Lochee during the first half of the nineteenth century, quarrying and kindred occupations came next. Quarries in Lochee and neighbourhood abounded. The rapid development of Dundee, harbour construction, and the projection of great public works, created an unceasing demand for material. Lochee being unable to supply a full quota of workmen, hundreds of labourers and artisans were drawn thither from the Highlands and Islands in the season, returning again to their homes on the arrival of winter.