John Scott (1850-1915)
John Scott was born in Paisley, Scotland circa 1850 and apprenticed to the Ferguson & Urie stained glass company circa 1866 at the age of 16.
At the company dinner held on the 9th of April 1886[1], he was presented with a handsome diamond locket in appreciation of his twenty years of faithful service to the company and as a farewell gift before his impending holiday to Europe.
“In making the presentation Mr. Young addressed a few words of good advice to the recipient, whom he strongly recommended to become a Benedict so that he could hand down the locket to his family as an heirloom”.
John Scott did eventually marry, but no marriage record has been found in Australia. I suspect that he may have married his wife Agnes in Scotland on his journey back to the old country in 1886. On their return to Australia, they lived at Haines Street in North Melbourne. They never had children.
In James Urie’s speech at the dinner, he stated: “Mr. Scott had come to them when a boy as an apprentice and had gradually worked himself up to be the right-hand man in his department”. His department was where the pieces for the stained glass windows were selected and cut to the exact dimensions according to the glass painters’ designs.
At the dinner John Scott sang “Remember me Mr. George Drury, when Jeff comes home today’ and “Bonnie Hills of Scotland”. At the company dinner the following year, held on the 22nd of June 1887, he again gave a rendition of “Bonnie Hills of Scotland” [2]. His name is not mentioned in the tabloid report of the 1888 company dinner [3].
John Scott died at Ballarat on the 1st June 1915 at the age of 65.
“SCOTT. – On the 1st June (suddenly), at 506 Doveton Street, Ballarat, John Scott, husband of Agnes Scott, and for many years of the firm of Ferguson and Urie, glass merchants, North Melbourne. A native of Paisley, Scotland.” [4]
His remains were conveyed to the Ballarat West station on the 3rd of June for Melbourne and subsequently buried in the Presbyterian section of the Melbourne General Cemetery.[5] (MGC-PRE-Comp-F-No-132)
His Last Will & Testament was dated 3rd September 1892. His occupation was specified as Plumber & Glass Cutter and he appointed his wife Agnes as sole beneficiary and executrix. His probate documents specified his address as “formerly of Haines Street North Melbourne by late of Doveton Street North Ballarat”.
Johns’ meager inventory included a vacant piece of land in Ormond Street Kensington in the Parish of Doutta Galla worth £300, watches, trinkets, Jewellery, an old silver watch, and a gold chain valued at £5, and 242 shares in the Northcote Brick Co. Ltd worth £169.
Footnotes:
[1] Ferguson & Urie Company Dinner, Fri 9th Apr 1886.
[2] Ferguson & Urie Company Dinner, Wed 22nd Jun 1887.
[3] Ferguson & Urie Company Dinner, Thu 15th Mar 1888.
[4] The Argus, Melbourne, Vic, Thursday 3rd June 1915, page 1
[5] The Evening Echo, Ballarat, Vic, Wednesday 2nd Jun 1915, page 4.
Related posts:
The 1886 Employee Dinner
The 1887 Employee Dinner
The 1888 Employee Dinner
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