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John Center
1830 - 1914
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Reproduced with acknowledgement
to Veronika Ihlenfeldt |
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Photograph
Above is an
enlargement of part of a
carte de visite
photograph of John Center. It was taken in the studio of James
Howie, 3 Princes Street Edinburgh in 1888 when John Center was aged 57.
The studio was at the East End of Princes Street, sold a few years later
to allow the North British Hotel (now the Balmoral Hotel) to be built.
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Birth
John Center
was the youngest child of James and Isobel Center.
He was baptised 15 January 1831 at Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire,
Scotland.
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Marriage
John married
Jean (b.1837 or 1838) in August 1860 at
Kildrummy. She was also from Kildrummy, and was daughter of John's
father's brother, Joseph.
At the time of his marriage, John was a photographer living at 73,
George Street, Aberdeen. Jean was a dressmaker, living at
Kildrummy.
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Family
John and Jean had 10 children, the first
two born in Kildrummy, Aberdeenshire. The others were born in
Edinburgh.
Further details of the Center family members, including names, dates
of birth and photographs can be found on this
genealogy web site. |
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Business
John lived in:
- Aberdeen (photographer) then
- Edinburgh (photographer
and bagpipe maker) then
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- Australia from 1908 ( bagpipe maker at West Brunswick) |
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Death
John Center died at Brunswick West, Melbourne, Australia on 22
December 1914, and was buried in Coburg Cemetery - Grave A521
(unmarked) *.
*
BUT See, also, the photos of John Center's grave in the
'Burial' paragraph below.
In his will, there appears to have been no specific mention of his
photography, but he specified how his bagpipe business was to be
treated:
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John Center's Will
[extract] |
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"To my son James, I leave the good-will of the Bagpipe-making
business with working plant consisting of Electric Motor, turning
lathes, circular saw bench, turning and boring tools and the wood that
may be hand bored and roughed down, and if he stays and works in the
shop where the business is at present carried on, that he pays a rent of
4/- per week and whatever material may be on hand, consisting of wood in
logs, ivory, sterling and German silver, jewellery in glass case, to be
valued, and that he pay over the value in money to my son William."
John Center |
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Thank you to Veronika Ihlenfeldt for details above.
John Center was a brother of her great great grandmother. |
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John Center |
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Continuing Interest
I have received messages from several bagpipers, living around the
world, all speaking highly of John Center bagpipes that they own. |
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Burial
Thank you, also, to Steve
Anderson, a
bagpiper from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia for sending me photos of John Center's
gravestone in Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery in Melbourne
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