Great philanthropist

“The piece in a recent Courier which mentioned Riga in Latvia and the fact that it had a connection with Dundee needs more explanation,” emails Innes Duffus, archivist to the Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee.

“As was customary with merchants, the Armistead family from northern England sent one of their members to Riga to look after their flax interests there. Later, in turn, they sent George to Dundee for the same purpose.

“He married Jane Baxter, one of the Baxter Bros family, in an unhappy relationship which may have been an arranged marriage. They separated and, the story goes, that he along with a lady friend, rented a country house in the Highlands for a month. Jane got to hear of this and rented the gate house. Every time his carriage went out she would stand in the centre of the entrance to block their path.

“George, however, was a great philanthropist and gave large sums of money to organisations in Dundee. He was a strong supporter of tradesmen.

“He became MP for Dundee and it is said that he bankrolled Gladstone on his foreign holidays and for his country house in Kincardine. Certainly after his death, Gladstone’s son had a beautiful sarcophagus made, carved in London and shipped up to the Western Cemetery. The Armistead coat of arms shows one of the two bearers as a tradesman holding the tools of his trade. Sadly, it is in very poor condition, but is still well worth seeing. It backs on to the central wall in the cemetery.

“He is still remembered today by the annual Armistead lecture and, to complete the story, I believe it was a nephew who became mayor of Riga and there is a statute of him in that city.”

“This photograph was among my late father’s belongings,” emails James Grieve of Kent. “I wonder if anyone can tell me anything about Montrave United. It’s possible that my grandfather, Thomas Grieve, may be among the group.”

“This group of jute-wallahs are enjoying an evening out at the Great Eastern Hotel, Chowringhee, Calcutta, 60 years ago,” says Kenneth Miln of Monifieth. “From left: Fred Shepherd, Sandy Ross, Dave Matthew, Frank Watson, Ken ? and Ken Miln. All six represented James F. Low and Co, Ltd. of Monifieth, ‘The Foundry’ (then manufacturers of jute-textile processing machinery).”