Granda Stephen                

 

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I have noted here the bits and pieces from the scrapbooks which give some background to the man. All the cousins were fortunate enough to know him, we were all very fond of him.  I was surprised to learn that I had only been 3½ when he died, because I have such strong memories of him.

He was born in Auchterless, around 1887/6, [ update 26 Jan 2002   -  1887, according to www.scotsorigins.com  to which I have just managed to gain access] and brought up in the croft at Old Hallforest, Kintore. His mother was NEW Jane, or Jean, Barbour, and had a child to Geordie Stephen. Jane lived in King Edward and Geordie lived at Bruntyards Farm, fairly nearby.  Geordie went off to Canada with his friend Will, and Jane was to follow once the baby was born. But Geordie was killed in a landslide, within a mine. Jane married, to a local lad, Alec Scott. With him she eventually had six sons and two daughters.  According to my mother, re-marriage was a vital financial necessity at the time and she was lucky to find someone who would take her on, with another man's child.    Contact me for latest tracings of his family. Lately I have been corresponding with a grand-daughter of Jane Scott and it was she who kindly provided the new picture. 

George was fee'd as a loon, but although the love of horses was strong, he became restless, and made plans to move out to Canada himself, with one of his friends.  The friend and he were caught in a storm and took shelter under a tree, but his friend was struck by lightning and killed. Read my mum's story, "Donald" - this was not the last time that the man was to find himself in such a terrible situation.  He didn't have the heart to emigrate after that.  He moved to Kingseat as a trainee psychiatric nurse, where he met Belle Buchan (surely he must have known her before? They lived so close!). They were married -

STEPHEN - BUCHAN - At Shettleston, Glasgow, on the 23rd Jan., by the Rev. Hector McKinnon, George Stephen, police constable, to Bella, only daughter of Alexander Buchan, Monymusk, late Gillahill, Countesswells.

[1913, acc. Deirdre]

and he joined the Glasgow police, on the recommendation of his uncle. (see picture) (slow page)  In 1915, following worries about the health of Belle, they moved to Stirlingshire and in 1915 he joined the Stirlingshire constabulary.  He became a sergeant in 1928, and an Inspector in 1939.  He retired in 1947.  Belle died in 1949, and he eventually remarried, to Mary Cruickshank, a cousin of Belle. 

He died in 1962, aged 75, on 2nd November.

Ex- Police Inspector Dies

Mr. George Stephen, a former Inspector with Stirlingshire Constabulary, died at his home, 6 Braemar Gardens, Brightons, in the early hours of yesterday morning, He was 75 years of age. Ex-Inspector Stephen joined the Stirlingshire Constabulary in 1915.  He was promoted to sergeant in 1928 and Inspector in 1939.  Before moving to Falkirk, he was stationed in Lennoxtown, Strathblane, Slamannan and Balfron.  He retired in August 1947. 

Married with three daughters, Ex-Inspector Stephen was born in Aberdeenshire.  The funeral will take place in Aberdeen Crematorium.

Other wee snippets that I have gleaned:-

Elspeth remembers going to the farm/croft at Kintore and being shown around the house by mum.  Apparently our house in Cambusbarron reminded her of it, with the arrangement of the upstairs bedrooms.

 Jane Barbour had two brothers, one called Donald. 

A David Smith Barbour was awarded the CBE when he was Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Agriculture. 

Alec Scott died in 1962 ( the same year as Granda) aged 92. (born 1870?)

Georgina Scott of Old Hall Forest married Mr Peter Adams on 5th January 1963. 

Jane Barbour had died 17 years previously (1945?).

Granda kept tabs on the other Stephens. There is one terrible account of a three year old Stephen child who died after drinking poison [ weed killer?] in a garden shed   Another picture shows Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stephen and their three children, Harvey, William and Leslie, being presented with a travelling clock and wallets before they emigrated to Australia.

The problem with newspaper cuttings is that the majority of items which make the press are incredibly sad.  

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