Shoemakers

On Wednesday August 19th 2015,  the two new members of the Shoemakers Incorporation, Alastair Walker and Mark McCue were installed as Burgesses of Trade at a ceremony held during a full council meeting at the Aberdeens Towns House.  Both Gentlemen were admitted as members of the Shoemakers Incorporation in April.

The Late Deacon Convener, David N Parkinson, standing in for Deacon Convener Sandy McKinnon, presented the applicant to the Provost and Council for admission as a Free Burgess of the Burgh of Aberdeen of his own Craft only.

Traditionally new members only had the right to vote at Trade meetings once they had been accepted as a Trade Burgess.

Pictured with Late Deacon Convener David N Parkinson are Alastair Walker (left) and Mark McCue (right)

The eldest member of the Shoemakers Incorporation is John Edward Harwood, who was born in Nigg on 8th April 1921.  John served in the Second World War and was awarded the 1939-45 Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, Palestine Medal, 1935-45 Medal and the Territorial Efficiency Medal.

He is registered in the members of the Shoemakers Incorporation as having entered the Trade on 10th December 1974, made a Burgess of Trade of the City of Aberdeen in February 1975 and Burgess of Guild the same year.

John was elected as Boxmaster of the Trade in 1986 and 1984.  Thereafter, he was elected as Deacon in 1985, 1986 and 1999.

John worked as a Retail Manager and Company Director of John Dunn Shoes in Aberdeen.

What is less known, is that John is also a poet and was a regular contributor to Leopard Magazine including ‘Souter…..How it was’: …

Meet our Members – Shoemakers John E. HarwoodRead More »

Late Deacon Brian Donald of the Shoemakers Incorporation was elected as Factor of the Trade Widows Fund (TWF), the first Shoemaker to hold this position.  Coming at a busy time for the TWF, the Incorporation wish Brian well in the coming years.

In February this year, Shoemaker Albert Thomson was made an Officer of Merit in Military & Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem.  This was in recognition of his charitable work for the Order and as a trustee of the Dame Bebe Barwiss-Holiday Memorial Trust, which was formed to advance the treatment of diseases and ailments of the eyes or skin.

In 1715 and 1745, the Aberdeen Shoemakers Incorporation was a hot bed of revolt during both the Jacobite rebellions. There are numerous references to the members of the trade and their apprentices being involved in illegal activities at the time of the rebellions.

There were at least two members of the Incorporation involved in the Battle of Culloden and it seems that the Trade in general favoured the Pretender. As a result, in 1746, all members of the Shoemakers Trade and new members of the future were required to take Oaths of Allegiance (to the King) and of Abjuration (disowning the Pretender).

For this historical insight, we refer to a member of the Shoemakers Trade with the wonderful name of Hercules McCook, who is listed in the members register as entering the trade on 17th April 1749.

The Shoemakers booklet ‘Acts, Oaths and Ordinances’ has the following entry, dated 27th July 1748: …

Tales of the Shoemakers TradeRead More »

Douping is the traditional method of ‘introducing’ new members to the Shoemakers Trade.

In old Scots, the doup is the bottom of anything, including the buttocks. Annually, the Shoemakers Incorporation annually ‘rode’ the marches or visited the property and land they owned. If a new member was present, he was douped on one of the march stones. The method being that he was lifted by the other members and placed three times on his doup on the stone.

The Trade uses the march or Douping Stone on Watson Lane off Rosemount Place, although others were apparently used in the past.

Of historical interest, below is a photograph of Eric Munro being douped circa 1929, having joined the Trade on 1st November 1928.

1. James Strachan, 2. To be identified, 3. Marcus Raffan,  4. To be identified,  5. John Cassie, 6. To be identified, 7. David Law, 8. Eric Munro, 9. To be identified, 10. To be identified, 11. To be identified, 12. To be identified, 13. To be identified, 14. Ken Burnett, 15. Bill Strachan, 16. John Findlater, 17. Alex Smith, 18. Samuel T. Law