John Macpherson was employed by Rowatts, an old established firm in the lighting trade, located at Fountainbridge, in Edinburgh.  The firm banked with the Clydesdale Bank in the High Street next to the City Chambers.  John’s route to the bank would probably take him past the brushmaker’s shop of Robert Cresser at 40 Victoria Street.  Robert Cresser’s daughter Joan possibly worked in the shop, and in any case lived opposite.  Whether this was how they met or not, John Macpherson married Joan Cresser (always known as Daisy) on March 18^th 1904, eighteen months after his sister Flora had married Daisy’s brother John.

About 1913 John, possibly after news from his brother William already in Canada, and partly because he was dissatisfied with his prospects at Rowatts, decided to emigrate to Canada, with the family to follow later.  He had received his tickets, when the proprietor offered him a promotion to the position of works manager, with an increase in salary, and he then decided to stay.

John had served in the 9^th Royal Scots Territorials (Dandy Ninth) in 1902/1903.

However he had left the Territorial Army well before the war started.  He was not called up for service, either because of his age or his job.  John made at least one trip to the U.S.A. during the war.

John and Joan moved to Slateford Road during the War and then to Shandon Place in 1918. This remained the family base until they died.

The firm of Rowatts was sold to its main competitor about 1928, and John then became Scottish representative of a company called Lighting Trades Ltd., with a big warehouse in Fountainbridge, next door to the “Palais de Danse”.  This company was a subsidiary of Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd., and within a few years had closed down, as it’s business was not  relevant to the usual products of I.C.I.  John then set up in business for himself as a manufacturers’ agent, working from his home and travelling all over Scotland.

John was a keen golfer.  He was member of Baberton Golf Club at Juniper Green on the outskirts of Edinburgh, where he became a member of the committee.  In his early days, he would cycle out there to play,

Joan and John celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1954 at the Roxburgh Hotel, Edinburgh.

Extract from “History of a Macpherson Family” by Margaret Hambleton 1987

Edited by Chalmers Cursley May 2006