My Great, Great grandfather John Brown, was the “Dominie” in Tweedsmuir for 41 years until 1895 when he died. His grave is in Tweedsmuir kirkyard.
He was born in Peebles, in Kerfield in 1825, where his father was assistant gardener, the oldest of 10 children. He was possibly the teacher at Stobo before Tweedsmuir, but I can’t be sure. He married his first wife Margaret Moffat from Moffat in 1854.They had four sons, Patrick (1855), James (1856), John (1858) and Walter (1861). I am descended from Walter. Sadly, Margaret died in childbirth when Walter was born.
John Snr’s sister Helen came to look after the children until he re-married a local girl, Effie Shaw and they had a daughter Annie and a son, Frank. James and John Jnr emigrated to Australia around 1890 and settled in Sydney. James did very well and became the manager for Singer sewing machines in Australia and beyond. However, John, who was a joiner, became a drifter…and the brothers went their separate ways apparently.
John, the Dominie, was also the Session Clerk in the Kirk as well as the census enumerator and the secretary of the Tweedsmuir curling club. The old rink curling pond is situated opposite the cross-roads to the old school and is badly overgrown now.
If anyone can add further information, I’d be delighted to hear it!
