‘Cowardly’ theft of family’s food

Barely left enough to make breakfast

There was much public anger in Doune 100 years ago over a “mean and cowardly robbery” at Sauchans Farm on the Gartincaber estate.

Farm tenant Mr A McLaren and his family awoke to discover almost all their food had been stolen. They were left with barely enough to make breakfast, according to the Observer’s Doune correspondent.

Among the items taken were a bag of meal, quantity of butter and tea, more than a dozen pots of jam and the weekly supply of meat.

The Observer said: “That such a mean crime is possible in these days when all are supposed to be doing their best for their country and for one another shows that there are still rakes in our midst whose only concern is for what they can lay their filthy hands on.”

“With one gallant son, a soldier and offering his life every day in defence of his country, and handicapped as we know him to be by physical ailment, yet Mr McLaren with his wife and daughters have striven, although under staffed on the farm, to carry on the work and help meet the urgent needs of the nations in these days of increasing scarcity of foodstuffs.”