Crieff’s High Street Before World War 1 ( 1913/1914 ) Part One
Crieff’s
High Street Before World War 1 ( 1913/1914 )
Part One
Part One
- Tom Cuthbert , grocer , East High Street ( now Mike Sweeney , barber )
Our little town was
somewhat different shop wise than it is
today . This analysis is
taken from Leslie’s Directory of Perthshire published 100
years ago ! Included are a number
of businesses which although
not located in the town itself presumably regarded Crieff as
their nearest major centre . We here in Crieff have just enjoyed a well organised and well run
Arts Festival in which many of the current traders participated . The shops provided an outlet for the many talented people who live in and
near to the town . Sadly the number of
shops has dwindled somewhat over the years and gone is
the variety found in the pre War listing below . The advent of
internet shopping and large multi
functioning supermarkets has unravelled
the intricate pattern of the traditional town centre as we can discern below . Eateries and carry out food shops
have now usurped the position of the Berlin
Wool and Fancy Repositories of yesteryear !
The demise of the railway in Crieff thanks to the myopic
Dr Beeching in the 1960s saw the acceleration in the decline of many retail and service areas in the town .
King Street from the Square down to the Station ( now the Crieff Hospital ) had
an abundance of attractive wee shops -3
bakers – 2 woollen shops- 3 booksellers and stationers -2 boot and shoe shops-2
cabinet makers –a cycle shop -2 butchers – a fishmonger – 4 grocers- 4 tobacconists
- a fishing tackle maker – 2 hairdressers-
4 inns or hotels-an ironmonger – a laundry- a dressmaker – a watchmaker -2 plumbers
– 4 “ refreshment “ rooms ( possibly tea shops ) and 3 tailors and clothiers !
The town boasted some twelve hotels
or inns including the “ Pret “or
Pretoria and the Star which is now the Crieff Hotel . All the others apart
from the immensely successful Hydro have
all gone. .The five temperance establishments which reflected
the mood of the day have vanished . I
refrain from suggesting what the
future pattern of retail Crieff might be
as there are more than a few factors
unclear as yet in the equation . What is certain the King Streets of yesteryear
is now most certainly gone .
In these days of internet banking and " holes in the wall " , we have lost contct in many instances with the the managers of yesteryear . Crieff immediately prior to the start of war had more than a few . Listed Banks included The Bank of Scotland , The British Linen Bank ,The Clydesdale Bank ,Commercil Bank of Scotland ,North of Scotland Bank , Union Bank of Scotland , Post Office Savings Bank ( 3 in total ) and a County and City of Perth Savings Bank - a total of ten in total !
If your material self was well catered for in the town , you could most certainly ensure that your sole would be in equally safe hands . Crieff had a surely a church to suit virtually every belief that was being currently preached ! The list is fascinating in its ecclesiastical complexity . We had 2 Parish Churches - St Michaels and the West Church ( known as a " Chapel of Ease " ) ,The North United Free and the South United Free , an Episcopal Church , a Roman Catholic Chapel , a Baptist Chapel and a Congregational Church all serving a population of some 4 000 souls !
The list below is a synopsis of Leslies Directory of Perth and Perthshire , published in 1913/ 1914. These were published each year from about 1880 until the commencement of the Second World War in 1939 . The list below gives you the number of each type of retail outlet , busines or practice that functioned at that time . I have listed in Part Two of this blog the specific names and addresses of each one . This should be of particular interest to those who are involved with family history in Crieff and its environs in this period .
In these days of internet banking and " holes in the wall " , we have lost contct in many instances with the the managers of yesteryear . Crieff immediately prior to the start of war had more than a few . Listed Banks included The Bank of Scotland , The British Linen Bank ,The Clydesdale Bank ,Commercil Bank of Scotland ,North of Scotland Bank , Union Bank of Scotland , Post Office Savings Bank ( 3 in total ) and a County and City of Perth Savings Bank - a total of ten in total !
If your material self was well catered for in the town , you could most certainly ensure that your sole would be in equally safe hands . Crieff had a surely a church to suit virtually every belief that was being currently preached ! The list is fascinating in its ecclesiastical complexity . We had 2 Parish Churches - St Michaels and the West Church ( known as a " Chapel of Ease " ) ,The North United Free and the South United Free , an Episcopal Church , a Roman Catholic Chapel , a Baptist Chapel and a Congregational Church all serving a population of some 4 000 souls !
The Congregational Church now the Primary School Dining HallThe list below is a synopsis of Leslies Directory of Perth and Perthshire , published in 1913/ 1914. These were published each year from about 1880 until the commencement of the Second World War in 1939 . The list below gives you the number of each type of retail outlet , busines or practice that functioned at that time . I have listed in Part Two of this blog the specific names and addresses of each one . This should be of particular interest to those who are involved with family history in Crieff and its environs in this period .
Summary of the Businesses Listed In Leslie's Directory of Perth and Perthshire in 1913/1914
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Dear CaledonCol, am enjoying reading your blog and notice you mentioned you would list specific names and addresses of Crieff businesses from Leslie's directory 1913/14. As someone who has old family in Crieff I'd love to see these, but I can't find your list, is it still to come? Many thanks, Susan
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