- Thomas Wilson
(Recollections by his Granddaughter Jane Carty)
Born: 1882 Eddleston Near Peebles, Moved to Stonehouse before his Marriage in 1912
Died: 1944.
Thomas “Tam” Wilson (1882-1944) born in Eddleston, near Peebles and moved to Stonehouse shortly before his marriage in 1912.
“He was a Threshing Miller (and later an owner). His boss had 3 threshing mills and when he retired he gave each of his workmen the opportunity to buy the mill he worked on. This was: threshing mill, baler, caravan (to live in when working away from home), all pulled and driven by a machine which looked like a Steam Roller. All the men had accepted but the other two went bankrupt within 2 or 3 years, but Grandpa only sold his business two years before he died in 1944. He must have worked hard to make his business a success and to support is family, there being no work early summer or mid winter. The village (Stonehouse) was long and narrow and when Grandpa was coming back, after working away for some weeks, the news flew round the village like wildfire. As the entourage moved very slowly, all the village children ran as fast as they could to meet him shouting, “Gies a hurl, Tam”. Grandpa would lift me up while on the move and let me “drive” the engine. Grandpa was quite a prominent figure in local country village life.”
Thomas Wilson and Archie Miller and two others unknown