Harrower Family Tree » Philemon Blair (1764-????)

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1. Scotland. Select Births and Baptisms. Ancestry,com. 1564 -1950, Ancestry.com, 1792 Record for Philemon Blair Ancestry.com. Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.

   Record for Philemon Blair
   Name: Philemon Blair
   Gender: Male
   Birth Date: 23 Feb 1792
   Baptism Date: 26 Feb 1792
   Baptism Place: Alloa, Clackmannan, Scotland
   Father: Philemon Blair
   Mother: Margaret Mcgowan
   FHL Film Number: 1040206
   

2. Scotlands People - Old Parish Registers of Births and Baptisms, 1764 BLAIR, PHILEMON (Old Parish Registers Births 465/ 40 236 Alloa)

   1764 BLAIR, PHILEMON (Old Parish Registers Births 465/ 40 236 Alloa)
   20 May1764
   Blair
   Philemon Blair & Isobel Davidson in Alloa had a lawful Son bap. & named Philemon

3. Newspaper Article, 1867 Philemon Blair Life 22 June 1867 Alloa Advertiser 6th Column

   https://www-britishnewspaperarchive-co-uk.nls.idm.oclc.org/viewer/bl/0001604/18670622/053/0003
   Alloa Advertiser - Saturday 22 June 1867 FOLK IN ALLOA WHOM I HAVE KNOWN. ...this week is the Kirkgate—a part of town which has been greatly traversed mourners on their way to pay their last tribute to departed friends. But l am one of those who always thought that while it was desirable to continue the approach to your Church-yard from the Kirkgate, it would have been an excellent arrangement had there been another approach, namely from the foot of Candle Street, or New Entry, entering into the Cemetery grounds from the spot where the Paton School now stands. This arrangement would have been very convenient for all who have to join in funeral processions passing down Candle Street, the place conld have been made highly ornamental, and the approach from Kirkgate still have remained as is. Kirkgate, .... Philemon Blair, alias "Old Philie,” the sexton, and the grandfather of the two last officials of that name, was a cooper to trade. I previously mentioned as to his breaking the parish bell, and then scobbing with a wooden hoop. Phillie was strange sort of character and had many curious sayings, which would wearisome were to enumerate any length. I remember on one occasion, after a grave was nearly dressed up, that he sent young Philemon with the account of the burial fees, &c., to the bereaved relatives. Philemon, Junior, remonstrated with his father about being such a hurry, but the old veteran replied “I ken better than you, laddie; awa’ with the account, and get the bawbees as lang as the tear’s in their e’e!” When any of the upper classes fell to his lot, some of his acquaintances would say to him “Ye’ll do to-day, Philie,” —meaning that the burial dues would be higher charged. The reply was ready, “O, aye, we'll gi’e him covered spokes, and the best mortcloth, and the bell twa clinks, and then toll it.” But puir Philie, for all that he buried, had at last to be interred himself. One winter afternoon, in coming up the Kirkgate, Phillie fell suddenly to the ground, and when lifted up it was found the vital Spark had fled, and so at length there had to be done to him what he had done perhaps to thousands. Philemon the 2nd reigned in the stead of his father. He came into office about the time of the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte (i.e. 1814), and was a real chip off the old block. He was very useful for many purposes, and was pretty generally employed by the merchants in the town. He was a capital “bottler,” and was allowed to be a fair judge of quality. In his chief occupation of grave-digger he used to have some quaint remarks. I remember on one occasion of a party who had a relative died, and who, before dying, had expressed a wish to be interred in another parish. Philie, on hearing of this, used the freedom of recommending surviving friends to “try her in Alloa first.” The advice was taken, and so far I have heard there has never been any complaints. Philie was a well-known character, and a considerable amount of liberty was taken with him. On one occasion, a person said to him, “I am afraid ye’ll no be lang in getting me, Philie.” “No a word about that,” he would kindly reply, “I would rather have either twa.” As stories about grave-diggers are very acceptable, I may mention that in his capacity of custodian of the old steeple, Philie's duty was to ring tho old church bell every night at ten o’clock. From causes which need not be particularly alluded to, Phillie sometimes rung the bell the wrong hour, and clocks and watches were not so plentiful then as they are now, people sometimes went to their beds an hour earlier than they intended. On one occasion when he was ringing the bell, two of your young Alloa swells (now no more) went in by the gate and locked the steeple door from the outside. It was a dark winter night and Philie was perplexed what to do. Looking over the opening above the dial plate, he called lustily to a passer-by to come and open the door. But the passer-by, thinking he was spoken to by a resurrectionist, took to his heels and ran. At length, seeing no way of escape from his unpleasant place of confinement, Philie had recourse to the expedient of ringing the “fire bell.” Very soon crowds gathered, and everybody was crying “fire, fire!” Where, where ?” At length several people went to the steeple itself, and loud overhead Philemon was heard howling "here, here,” and having given explanations, he was soon extricated from his prison. The end came at last, however. Philemon Blair, who as grave-digger, and as the manner of the class is, had callously consigned so many of the townsfolk to the narrow house, himself died and was buried, and Edward his son was called to reign in his stead. The careers of Ned, and his brother and successor Robert, are too recent for me particularly to describe. ...
   

4. Newspaper Article, 1871 Philemon Blair Bell repair Alloa Advertiser Correspondence. SPIRES AND BELLS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE ALLOA ADVERTISER.

   May 6 1871 Philemon Blair Bell repair Alloa Advertiser
   Correspondence. SPIRES AND BELLS.
   TO THE EDITOR OF THE ALLOA ADVERTISER.
   
   SIR.- Since I wrote last week, I have had an opportunity of hearing one of Vickar's steel bells, diameter 36 inches, which you will see by their circular costs under £25, at their foundry; it is full toned and most melodious. You will also see from their list that a chime of six bells. weighing 5000 lbs., costs only £203, and one of them 3800 Ibs. £158. at the foundry. In reference to the cracked bell noticed in my last, there is an amusing anecdote - the bellman, Philemon Blair, was a cooper by trade, and proceeded to mend the hell by hooping it; the simple man thought if a hoop mended a cask, and made it ring, he could not see any reason why it should not have the same effect on the bell.-
   I am, &c., D. D. B.
   

Historische gebeurtenissen

• Geboortedag 20 mei 1764

Dezelfde geboorte/sterftedag

• Ook geboren op 20 mei

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