NEWS JUST IN!
A Glimpse of Life in 1705…
It's a thrill to confirm that, following an interview with editor, Phyllis Stephen of The Edinburgh Reporter, her article, entitled EARLY EDITION DISCOVERED, has been published in the June 2021 issue.
The subject of the article is my discovery of a piece of Scottish journalism history - the first edition of THE EDINBURGH COURANT of 1705. This extraordinary find was amongst a collection of very old newspapers, which had been stored along with my great grandfather’s SCRAPBOOK. (For details of who he was, scroll down this page!)
As far as I can tell, from my research to date, this may be the only copy in existence. Edited by Daniel Defoe, the publication was one of the first regional newspapers in Scotland - a fascinating find.
Paper editions of The Edinburgh Reporter are currently available in Edinburgh supermarkets. Otherwise, have a look at the image below or click on the link on the blue button to see the online edition - article is on page 20.
SOCIAL HISTORY - what was life in Ayr like in 1898?
Based on columns from The Ayrshire Post written by OCULEUS, the penname of managing editor William Gilmour Wallace who was my great grandfather, this book gives a glimpse of what life was like, revealing complaints about potholes, and foul-mouthed school pupils, as well as concerns about a contagious outbreak of scarlet fever and the first appearance of motorcars on Ayr’s roads.
Humorous, satirical and often moving, OCULEUS used his position to highlight scandals and right wrongs.
A riveting glimpse into a time gone by.
WHERE DID IT ALL START?
I have always been fascinated by history, as an enthusiastic amateur.
I’m not so captivated by the dryness of dates but by the lived experience of those in a bygone era so when my mother produced a family scrapbook, about which I knew nothing, containing weekly columns written in 1898, I found my interest piqued.
William Gilmour Wallace
The journalist responsible was my great grandfather, William Gilmour Wallace, who was managing editor of The Ayrshire Post in the 1890s. He began writing weekly columns commenting on current affairs – local and national – and signing himself Oculeus, a habit he continued until he retired. I opened the scrapbook and was swept into another world. These columns made me look at my familiar world afresh, re-examining my home town and its buildings.
I also came to realise that the essence of what makes us human, has not really changed.
Nothing new under the Sun…
Having already had articles published, I was in no doubt that I had found my next subject. I began digging deeper, finding much in the columns to explore and write about, which resulted in ‘Nothing New under the Sun’, my article published in 2013 by the Scottish Memories publication.
With fifty-two weeks’ worth of historical treasure at my disposal, it was a pleasure creating a twelve-chapter, social history book, which offers a snapshot of life in 1898.
In terms of research, my first port of call was Ayr’s Carnegie Library, where their archive houses original copies of the newspaper. What a thrill donning the white gloves!
Explore the past …
Fancy a bit of time travel to the 1890s? What springs to mind when you think of that period?
This was the decade when Queen Victoria was nearing the end of her reign, Oscar Wilde was imprisoned and wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, Van Gogh died, and Puccini wrote La boheme. I find it makes imagining OCULEUS’s world more fascinating to understand what else was happening at the time.
So come and meet my ancestor! Where did he come from and what did people think of him? What were the issues which angered the people of Ayr in 1898?
With chapters on Sport, Women and Fashion, Politics, Robert Burns as well as Poverty and Health, amongst others, you will find yourself transported to the late Victorian era - smell the sewage as you cross the Auld Brig, feel the bumps as you travel the pot-holed roads, and see the disgraceful state of the Tam o’Shanter Inn.
But it’s not only Ayr and its immediate surroundings which are scrutinised. National -and even international - issues are discussed too. If however you imagine that his columns are dull or boring, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. My great grandfather was often playful and mischievous, loved to pun, and even took great delight in playing an April Fool on his readership.
To give potential readers a taster of the content of this publication, I created some videos
filmed in locations - around Ayr and Prestwick - which feature in the book.
Check them out on my YOUTUBE channel - just click the icon on the header.
Thanks to my trusty camera man and director - Ken - for his expertise!
It was great fun doing them, despite traffic noise, seagulls, barking dogs and stray pedestrians!
ON SALE NOW
OCULEUS: The Musings of A Liberal Victorian in Ayr
Should you be interested in purchasing a copy (£8 or £10 p+p) do get in touch. Having been published by the AANHS, copies are only currently available from me or from them.
My contact details are at the foot of each page.
THE AYRSIRE POST (October 2020) did me proud, publishing a double page interview about my social history book, with one of their early managing editors, William Gilmour Wallace.
AYRSHIRE MAGAZINE also interviewed me for their December 2020 issue.