A.

Polton Farm

Recollections

Matt Rooney asks the question:

"As regards your Polton Farm, is it the one off the Lasswade to Rosewell road?  

I used to go to that Polton Farm as a wee boy.

The Farmer at that time was one of the first to get a wee grey Ferguson Tractor,  it was a fascinating place for me, and I used to spend hours there as a boy."

Matt Rooney, Ayrshire Scotland:  April 25, 2006

George Smith comments:

"The photo of Polton farm engaged my interest as the building behind the workers appears to be some sort of institution and it has ventilators in the roof similar to those in malt houses; some sort of  hospital building  requiring strong ventilation?"

George Smith, British Colombia, Canada,  April 27,  2006

Matt Rooney  -  message 2

"Now, I'm Not Sure how far up the Lasswade to Rosewell Road the ' Polton Farm' that I knew went, but part way along that stretch of road there was a Children's Home.

I cannot Remember what the building looked like but as far as I know it was still there the last time I passed by. You can see part of the small estate from the the Bonnyrigg to Rosewell road just above the 30 mile limit signs at the Rosewell end.  There used to be a path from that road to the House.

The Next time I go to Dalkeith, I'll take a better look at it.

Matt Rooney, Ayrshire Scotland:  May 1, 2006

Matt Rooney  -  message 3

"I'm still trying to discover if 'Polton Farm' in the photos above is the same 'Polton Farm' as I knew. 

I used to go to Willie Pringle's farm at Polton after school and at the weekends.  It was Willie who bought the first  wee grey Ferguson tractor in the area.

I used to drive buses for William Stewart and did the 'Tattie Run' with him."

Matt Rooney, Ayrshire Scotland:  May 18 + 27, 2006

Matt Rooney  -  message 4

"In the Old days the farmers used to hire extra squads of workers to help with the harvest on the farm, and the Pringle family would be no exception.   During the War it was the P.O.W.'s that got that privilege. I met a lot of them at the farm.

Matt Rooney, Ayrshire Scotland:  June 4, 2006

B.

Which Building

 is in this photo?

    ©

1.

Fay Morrison, Loanhead, Midlothian, wrote to Matt Rooney:

Was it Polton Farm?

    ©

"Good News. I can confirm that the farm in the picture is indeed the farm you remember as a child .

However the farm as such  no longer exists.  Part was given over to housing and part was kept as a nature reserve."

Fay Morrison, Library Headquarters Loanhead, Midlothian:  May 29, 2006

Note:   The answer above refers to the farm, rather than to the buildings.  See below.

 -  Peter Stubbs

2.

Neil Stewart wrote to Matt Rooney on May 29, saying:

Was it Rosslynlee Hospital?

    ©

"I believe the building in the background in the picture is in fact Rosslynlee Hospital, not Polton Farm, and that the workers would have been inmates or patients"

Neil Stewart, May 29, 2006

3.

Matt Rooney added, on June 4:

Was it Midfield Children's Home?

    ©

"The building in the photo is clearly not Polton Farm. I remember the farm buildings as being stone but I'm not sure about the house.  If I find out any more I'll let you know.

But I doubt that the boundary of Polton Farm stretches as Far as Rosslynlee Hospital, and if I'm right the fields round about the hospital were sort of hilly. 

I Still remember the wee open cast at the crossroads, where the opposite road went to a smallholding called 'Barleydean' the main road to Rosewell and Howgate.

I believe that the building in the picture must be MIdfield Children's Home that is sort of wedged between the fields of Polton Farm and, I think, the fields of the farm nearer to Rosewell.

I hope to take a Trip up to Dalkeith next week and go via the back road so that I can take a closer look at the Home and its Buildings. Since the slides were taken in those early days, an avenue of trees has grown."

Matt Rooney, Ayrshire Scotland:  June 4, 2006 (3 more e-mails)

4.

Alan Wilson, Edinburgh,  wrote on June 6:

Was it the City Hospital Isolation Cottages?

    ©

"I've been having a look at the Farm Workers photo and feel fairly sure that the buildings in the background are part of the old City Hospital, which has now been converted to private housing.

I worked there for a number of years in the Infectious Diseases Unit until we transferred to the Western General in 1998.  I've had a word with one of the consultants and he's sure that the building immediately behind the men is one of the isolation cottages.

If you have a minute to spare and happen to be in the Central Library have a look at "The Edinburgh City Hospital" by James A Gray, on page 122 there's a photograph of one of the isolation cottages which is very similar to the building in the photo, and on page 145 there's another photo showing the complete hospital with the isolation cottages on the right hand side."

Alan Wilson, Trinity, Edinburgh:  June 6, 2006

I've not yet had chance to look at the book you refer to at Central Library.  However, the glass slides above is labelled 'Polton Farm', so perhaps there were isolation units at Rosslynlee Hospital (which is close to Polton Farm) that were similar in architecture to those at the City Hospital.

Maybe the same architect was used for isolation units at several hospitals, just as the same architect was used to design many of Edinburgh's schools in the late 19th century.

Peter Stubbs,  June 8, 2006

5.

Matt Rooney added, on June 9:

It was probably not Midfield Children's Home?

    ©

"Its been established (well! sort of) that the fields belong to Polton Farm because of 'the slides' .   But I'm unsure now that the buildings are of Midfield House.  I think that at Midfield there was just the one building at the end of the drive.

What I cannot understand is how, if it is Rosslynlee, that the buildings are adjoining the farm as there's another farm at Hawthornden betwixt the hospital and Polton, unless of course these are absent fields as can happen on some farms.

'Absent fields' are plots of land leased by one farmer from another, if the farm does not have enough ground.  Perhaps they are given a different name in your part of the country."

Matt Rooney, Ayrshire Scotland:  June 9, 2006

6.

James Watson Pringle who lived on Polton Farm for eighteen years and now lives in Canterbury, Kent  has provided the following answers:

The Building

   ©

"Unfortunately the picture of the farm workers does, not show Polton Farm, I think it is Roslynlee Hospital, but I am not sure.  I will have a dig through my old photos to see if I have one of the farm.

The Cabbage Workers

   ©

"I don't think this photo of the cabbage field is on the farm."

The Potato Workers

   ©

"But this photo of the potato workers was taken on the farm.  Just behind the trees is the road to Polton village and the paper mill.

James Watson Pringle:  Canterbury Kent, England:  June 11, 2006

7.

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire has now done some further research.

Bryan writes:

Was it part of the Royal Victoria Hospital?

    ©

"The attached extracts from Lothian Health Board papers suggest there was a colony at Polton Farm which was part of The Royal Victoria Hospital, called Royal Victoria Farm Colony.

Perhaps this is the building under discussion at the moment."

Bryan quotes from the Lothian Health Board papers:

Bryan adds:

"Rosslynlee Hospital seems to have been a separate entity associated with lunacy, which became part of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital."

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire:  June 13, 2006

8.

Eileen Cameron writes:

Was it part of the City Fever Hospital?

    ©

"This picture looks to me like Edinburgh City Fever Hospital, especially from the ward in the background.

The hospital ground had at least one field still being ploughed and sown, near the West gate, when I  was there in 1948, although obviously the clothing of the workers is earlier ."

C.

Polton Farm

Willie Pringle and Family

I received another e-mail about Polton Farm on May 31, 2006.

Bryan Gourlay now living in Biggar, Lanarkshire, wrote:

James Watson Pringle

"It never ceases to amaze me that I have some sort of shared experience with many of your contributors.

I've been reading the developing story of Polton farm with great interest, particularly now that Matt Rooney has mentioned the farm owner was Willie Pringle.

A classmate of mine at the Royal High School between 1954 and 1960 was a James W Pringle who came for Polton. If my memory serves me well, he lived at Polton Farm and I think he was maybe the farmer's son (his middle initial could well be for William). He was never called James, or Jim or Jimmy. Throughout his entire time at school, he was always just known as 'Polton'.

James Pringle certainly lived at Polton, as he used to get off the bus at the Polton road end with Lasswade Road, when we returned from playing rugby against the Borders' schools.

As I recall, 'Polton' was a pretty good, swift winger.   He is the second player from the left in the back row of this 1958/59 Royal High 1st XV photo."

Please click on this photo to enlarge it.

Royal High School Rugby Team

1958-59

  ©

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire:  May 31, 2006

On June 11, 2006, Marilyn Hamilton, Stockport, Cheshire wrote:

The Pringle Family

"Willie Pringle was my uncle and James Watson Pringle (known as Watson to his family) is my cousin.  I've forwarded the 'Recollections' part on Polton Farm to him.  I hope he will be able to contribute some stories about his time on the farm.

James (Watson) now lives in Canterbury.  He has three  brothers,  John and Peter still live in Bonnyrigg and David living in Kirknewton."

Life on the Farm

"As we lived in one of the farm cottages and I spent all my spare time with my cousins playing on the farm.

Neeps and Tatties

"I can remember also playing on Tom Black's farm next door (children Helen, Sheila and Robert). Sad to see the original Polton Farm is no longer there as it was such a landmark and large employer of local people who worked on the grain harvest, as well as "shawing neeps" and "howking tatties".

Farm Buildings

"There was also a dairy in the farmyard where Christine McLean used to bottle and sell milk. Her father Hughie was the cattleman and it was a familiar sight to see him bringing the cows down the road for milking.

 There was a stack yard for bales of straw and hay, where the tractors and trailers were parked, a Dutch barn, a piggery, a silo, 2 byres, a bull pen, and numerous barns set round a central courtyard."

Midfield Home

"I also remember Midfield Home as a neighbour of ours adopted a little girl from there, and when I asked her what she wanted for Christmas she replied, "A brother".

She got her wish as her parents adopted a little boy from Midfield just in time for Christmas."

Marilyn Hamilton, Stockport, Cheshire:  June 11, 2006

On June 11, 2006, Robyn Pringle wrote

James Watson Pringle

"Hi I just thought I'd drop you a line to let you know that the JW Pringle mentioned on your site about Polton Farm, is my father.

His name is James Watson Pringle and as mentioned he never used James and answers to Watson, he was know as Polton in his younger days.  He has 3 younger brothers John, Peter and David all of whom still live in the Edinburgh area.  Dad is now living in Canterbury, but still makes regular visits to Lasswade.

 I have told Dad about this site and he will no doubt be in touch soon."

Robyn Lait:  June 11, 2006

On June 11, 2006, James Watson Pringle, Canterbury wrote:

"I lived in Polton Farm for eighteen years.  It is great to hear about the farm after such a long time, it was knocked down in 1963 give or take a few years.

Prisoners of War

"I remember very well the Italian prisoners of war who helped on the farm. There were many hilarious events.

The Italians were very good craftsman they carved ornate toys and mobiles, they were mostly very happy but used to moan about having to work. One day they downed their hoes and refused to work.

Jock Anderson asked me to get the sergeant who was having a cup of tea at the farmhouse. When I told him he said 'Don't worry I'll sort out in a tick.'

He picked up his rifle and sauntered up the road. As soon as the sergeant appeared at the gate of the field, the prisoners  picked up their hoes, and started working without saying a word. It was either at the end or just after the end of WWII and everybody knew the rules."

Message for Matt Rooney

You are correct it stood on the Lasswade to Rosewell Road on the right hand side one hundred yards above where the Polton Inn is now.

Message for Bryan Gourlay

It was also good to hear from Brain Gourlay, the photo of me in the rugby team Brain bears little resemblance to me now.

James Watson Pringle, Canterbury, Kent, England:  June 11, 2006

D.

Polton Farm

 A Poem

Matt Rooney has sent me his poems on many subjects over the past few years.

Here is one that he has written about Polton Farm.

Matt writes:

"Here is a poem for the Pringle family as a thank you for my memories of Polton Farm:"

Memories of Polton Farm

"The days before the tractor were fraught with danger from all airts you know,

As fingers could get trapped within the thresher's inner glow.

Then, the coos in for the milking could clatter you across the shins,

As the maid who'd tethered the bull laughed, as it kicked against the bins."

"The ploughing was hard graft when the furrow's were on a hill,

And the birds gathered at one end then went into overspill.

The farm house was always busy, I mind that full well,

And the reek of the mornings porridge with creamed milk was for us the better sell."

"Going to the tatties was worse in the cold and rain,

With sacks provided as an apron and back groanin' wi' the pain.

The olden days are good, now that we no longer have to toil

As modern implements are harrowing the fields among the same old soil"

Matt Rooney, Ayrshire, Scotland:  June 13, 2006"

Recollections

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