I was born at No - The MAN & Other Families

14Then there were our cousins the Macfarlane's. Cousin Mary Macfarlane was a daughterof Aunt Galloway and thus our first cousin, though much older than we. She and herhusband, Cousin Robert were a delightful couple, so kind to us children. Cousin Marywas a very nice-looking buxom woman and full of kindness but was very simple and"malaprop". For instance I heard her once talk of someone as an Admiral in the Army!She used to be greatly but good-naturedly teased by her two sons, Robbie and Alexanderand even her husband, Cousin Robert, but she was always smiling and good tempered.We used to see a lot of Robbie and Alexander and they often spent the evening at ourhouse.After a year at "Ellangowan" we moved to a smaller house "Westfield" small but prettyand comfortable. Just behind us lived a family called Robley. One of his daughters whengrown up later married Bonar Law 6 .There was an Episcopal Church at Helensburgh but it was too "high" for my mother'staste, so we used to attend the Free Church of which a Mr. Anderson was the Minister. Inthese days it was the custom for whole families to attend Church both morning andafternoon as a matter of course and there was a regular procession of families to Church,the children two by two in front and the parents bringing up the rear.We also attended a weekly evening Bible Class, which we rather enjoyed, as it wasconducted by the Minister, who was both interesting and amusing. He was a great snuffaddict and I remember on one occasion when he and his wife were dining with us, on hisarrival he found he had forgotten his snuff-box and I was sent to borrow some snuff froma neighbouring friend of his who also took snuff.It was about this time that the Russo-Turkish War broke out 1875-6.During the two years I was at school in Helensburgh I got altogether nine prizes, four thefirst year and five the second. Aggie, however, beat me as she got six prizes the secondyear. I forget how many the first year. I also developed a proficiency in high jumping forwhich I got a prize at our annual athletic sports. I forget the height of my jumps but it waswithin an inch of my height at that time. I also got a prize for hurdle racing and one forone hundred yards flat.We used to have quite a lot of skating in winter at the skating club lake at the top of LussRoad. It was a long climb up there but once there one had a beautiful view down to LochLomond.After two very happy years at Helensburgh my mother decided we would move to Jerseyin the Channel Islands. The reason I believe was that living and education were verycheap there and probably our finances were getting lower. We packed up and went first toGlasgow to the Taylors and the same night took a train to London, arriving there nextmorning. We drove to Aunt Mary's rooms in Blandford Place. It was our first sight ofLondon. It was a dull, rather foggy day and we were not favorably impressed. Wechildren were taken to see the Zoo and Madame Tussaud's Waxworks. That night we