The Border Magazine - Vol. 1. No.4 May 1896

Thomas Usher, Esq.,

SECRETARY, EDINBURGH BORDER COUNTIES ASSOCIATION.

BY STUART DOUGLAS ELLIOT, S.S.C.

ENTERING the Queen’s Park, by St. Leonard’s gate, immediately adjoining Messrs. Nelson’s large printing and publishing establishment, and turning to the right, a walk of little more than a mile brings us to the quiet and secluded village of Duddingston, nestling under shady trees by the side of the loch. Memories of its artist minister, the Rev. John Thomson, still linger about its venerable church. It was the session of this church which honoured itself by sending Sir Walter Scott to represent it in the general Assembly. Passing the Sheep’s Head Tavern, of old convivial fame, we reach Sycamore Bank, standing on the highest part of the village, under the shadow of Dunsappie Rock and commanding an extensive view eastwards over the fertile fields of Midlothian. Here dwells the subject of our sketch, and here we received a kindly welcome on our recent visit in connection with this paper.

Few names are better known among Edinburgh Borderers, and throughout the length and breadth of the Borderland, than that of Thomas Usher, who for upwards of 31 years has discharged the onerous duties of Secretary to the Edinburgh Border Counties Association - an association which owes its existence to his initiative, and, to a large extent, its continued prosperity and usefulness to his deep interest in all its concerns, and his unwearied devotion to its affairs.

As its records shew, the family of Usher has been connected with the Borders for centuries. 450 years ago, one John Usher, was a Burgess in Peebles, and for the last 250 years, the Ushers have been associated with the Melrose district. Some ingenious guesses have been made as to the derivation of the name. One is that the family were descended from an usher in Melrose Abbey, who adopted the name of his office as the family surname. But whatever May have been their origin, the Ushers were resident in Darnick in 1547, and the name is to be found in the records of the parish of Melrose, from 1643 downwards. In 1752, John Usher purchased the Estate of Toftfield, formerly known as Tylehouse, and from him all the present family of the Ushers are descended. The property was sold by Mr. Usher’s grandfather, John Usher, to Sir Walter Scott, in 1816, and forms part of the Abbotsford Estate. The history of the family was embodied in an interesting paper prepared by Mr. Usher himself, and read at a meeting of the Edinburgh Borderers’ Union a few years ago, and subsequently published. This year the Usher family again become Border Lairds in the person of Mr. John Usher, of Norton, who has purchased the Wells Estate in Rulewater, Roxburghshire.

Mr. Thomas Usher was born at 11 Brown Square, Edinburgh (then a fashionable locality, shortly afterwards partly removed in connection with the formation of George IV. Bridge) on 11th February, 1826, so that he has already passed the allotted span, but his spare form and undiminished energy, and mental vigour, promise that he May yet have many years of health and usefulness before him. His father was James Usher, S.S.C., eldest son of the last Usher of Toftfield, so that Mr. Usher is entitled to precedence as being the head of the Usher family. His father died at the early age of 43. His mother was Mary Gray, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Gray, minister of Broughton, Peeblesshire, and thus on both sides Mr. Usher is a Borderer. When still a lad, Mr. Usher spent two seasons at Tweedsmuir Manse, the home of his maternal aunt, wife of the minister of that parish, and it was there his love for Tweedside and the borderland was first awakened, a love which has never weakened, but has gone on increasing until at last it is the ruling feature of his existence.

After being educated in Dr. Andrew’s School, in Nicolson Square, and elsewhere, Mr. Usher received an appointment in the County Buildings (Justice of Peace Department) and a few years later obtained a transfer to the Edinburgh Sheriff Court House where he has remained ever since, and where he still performs the duties of his office. His wife, Eliza Macfarlane, died about four years ago leaving him with two sons and two daughters.

As a young man, Mr. Usher took much interest in Literary and Debating Societies, filling the offices both of secretary and chairman, and prepared and read numerous essays and papers on different subjects. One of these societies, in which he played a conspicuous part, was the Edinburgh Young Men’s, and while connected with it, he arranged for lectures by such well known men as George Combe, Rev. Dr. Maurice, Rev. Dr. Robert Lee, Dr. George Wilson, Rev. Geo. Gilfillan and other celebrities. It was while chairman of this society that he gave his first public support to the Free Library movement – a movement which he has since consistently advocated. He assisted at the two unsuccessful plebiscites in Edinburgh prior to Mr. Carnegie’s donation of £50,000, which ultimately induced the rate-payers to adopt the Act; and in connection with the application of the Act to rural districts, he had a correspondence with Sir George O. Trevelyan, then Secretary for Scotland, which resulted in the Consolidating Act of 1887. The last Act (1894) which enables Town Councils to adopt the Free Library system after notice and without a meeting or poll, introduced by Mr. Dalziel in the House of Commons, and by Lord Tweedmouth in the House of Lords, was also largely the result of his labours.

In ecclesiastical matters, Mr. Usher has always taken a broad and liberal view, and has advocated the “voluntary principle,” although connected with the Established Church. He is a member of his friend Mr. Oliver’s congregation at Portobello, and frequently attends Old Greyfriars on Sunday evenings, to hear Dr. Glasse, with many of whose views he is in sympathy. He was a member of Presbytery for several years, during the “Lee Controversy,” and always supported, and sometimes spoke in favour of what were then considered “innovations,” but are now recognised common practices.

But it is in connection with his work as Secretary of the Edinburgh Border Counties Association, that Mr. Usher’s claim to a place in the Border Magazine chiefly rests. To that work he has devoted an amount of energy, perseverance, and patient, ungrudging toil, of the amount of which fewer can form any just conception, and which should receive for him the gratitude of all true Borderers. His best reward, however, is to be found in the success and prosperity of the Association for which he has done so much. The history of its inception is interesting. Spending a pleasant holiday at Glenluce, in Wigtonshire, he one day saw at a friend’s house a number of handsome books sent by the Galloway Association for distribution as prizes to the school children. At once the thought struck him, why has Roxburgh not such an Association? On his return to town, he ventilated the subject in the Daily Review, and received a hearty response. Berwick and Selkirk claimed admittance, and ultimately the Association was formed on its present Basis in the year 1865 – the town of Berwick-on-Tweed being admitted a few years later at the request of its then Mayor, Mr Purvis, and Dr. M‘Laggann. Mr. Usher was elected Secretary, a position for which his previous training peculiarly fitted him, and which he has held ever since. Chief among those who assisted at these first meetings was Mr. R. D. Turnbull, of the National Bank, who did much good work, and was elected first Treasurer of the Association. Mr. A. S. Michie of the Royal Bank, now in Glasgow, Mr. George Tait, Edinburgh, Mr. Arthur Dickson, now Solicitor, Montrose, Mr. John Telfer, now President of the Edinburgh Borderers’ Union, and several others, took part in those early meetings. Launched under most favourable auspices, with such men as Lord Jerviswoode, Mr. Campbell Swinton, of Kimmerghame, and Lord Tweedmouth, as Presidents, Sir David Brewster, Mr. Milne-Home, of Milne-Graden, Professor Veitch, Sir George B. Douglas, Bart., etc., as Vice-Presidents, and Mr. Thomas Knox, J.P., Mr. Nenion Elliot, S.S.C., Clerk and Mr. Jas. S. Mack, of Coveyheugh, as Chairmen of Council, the career of the Association has been one of continued advancement and prosperity, until it has now a membership of 520, (including not only all the leading Borderers in Edinburgh, but most of the leading landed Proprietors, Manufacturers, Solicitors, and Merchants, in the Border Counties, and accumulated funds amounting to something like £2,500. During these years, the history of the Association, and the history of Mr. Usher, are inseparably connected, and we propose to leave it to some abler and better qualified pen than ours to tell the story. Suffice it now merely to mention that during all these years, not only has the Association been distributing large numbers of Book Prizes throughout the Border Schools, but year by year, it has been granting Bursaries, and Technical Scholarships, to the very best Border scholars, enabling them to continue their education, and qualify themselves for higher positions in life. Their yearly excursions have familiarised the members with the best of Border scenery, history and romance, while the annual dinner has promoted social feelings and good fellowship. But there are several outstanding features, not falling under the ordinary working of the Association, yet intimately associated therewith, and in these, Mr. Usher has nobly borne his share of work. We refer to such matters as the celebration of the Sir Walter Scott centenary, in 1871, the John Leyden Centenary, in 1875, the Sir David Brewster centenary, in 1881, and the Thomas Carlyle centenary, last year. In all these, Mr. Usher acted as Secretary to the Committees of Management. The "Scott" centenary was the first and largest, and was a magnificent success. The work which it entailed upon the Secretary, including, as it did, correspondence with public and literary men throughout the world, must have been enormous, and nothing but his love for Scott and the Borderland could have enabled him to carry it through. As he remarks in his history above mentioned, “It was curious to see the eldest grandson of the last Laird of Toftfield, Secretary to Sir Walter’s centenary celebration, and labouring to do his memory and reputation all the honour possible.” The “Leyden” and “Brewster” celebrations were carried through under the auspices of the Association alone, and the “Carlyle” one with the assistance of the Dumfriesshire, and other County Associations interested. Other special matters worthy of note are the Handicrafts’ Exhibition, at Hawick, in 1887, the purchase of the Rhymer’s Tower, at Earlston, which was inaugurated last year, and the purchase of Leyden’s Cottage, at Denholm, which is to be celebrated in August next. In all these matters, Mr. Usher’s services have been given freely and ungrudgingly, and they truly have been “labours of love.”

Tested by ordinary standards of worldly wisdom, Mr. Usher’s life May not have been so successful as some of his contemporaries, but he has the satisfaction in his declining years of looking back on a life, not of sordid striving for the accumulation of wealth and personal advancement, but of ceaseless activity and earnest work for the benefit of his fellowmen, a record of work which few can equal. And he retains not only his own self respect, but the respect and gratitude of his fellow Borderers, and while the Edinburgh Border Counties Association endures, the name of Thomas Usher will not be forgotten.

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