Taylor2015

Taken during WW1 Madge and her sister Annie? (Research):Gran Madge, was brought up by her grandmother Gr anny Stewart.

13th February, 1966

Happy Birthday, Madge

In the winter of 1896 when you cam on the scene Intae this big world o' oors, wi a mighty scream, Little di ye ken then, that you'd grow up tae be, Yin o' oor leadin' citizens, wi' the title o' J.P.

When you were five you went tae school tae get an education, You were guid at addin' up as weel as multiplication, An' so it wis nae bother when luckin' for a job, You fun yer true vocation, in a Kilmarnock fruit shoap.

Ye liked tae visit Golspie Castle, Duke of Sutherland's abo de, I think that you were showin' aff, I'm shure ye wur, by Goa d, As you were travellin' up the North, ye'd nae thocht for th e Duke, Yer thochts were o' yer Auntie Meg, who wis the Duke's hei d cook.

Time went by an' war broke oot, the boys marched tae the fr ont' Leavin you tae walk yersel' up the Dregon Munt, Then news cam through, wee'd won the war, the Germans wur d efeated, An' John Bell cam tae visit you, an' a question he repeated.

So you prepared yer bottom drawer, saved money in yer purse, In 1918 you took John for better or for worse, Ye've had yer ups an' doons since then, like only ither pai r, But you were aye sae happy, ye didny seem tae care.

When ye startit yer wee family, without much delay, Wi' a bouncin' baby dochter that you an' John ca'ed May, Then Hugh an' Margaret an' Stewart a' cam in quick successi on, When Jean arrived ye said tae John, " That's wur final sess ion".

Ye'd tak yer weans tae Rothesay each Kilmarnock Fair, Every yin got a' dressed up, after ye'd washed their hair, Then John took up the cases, ye wurny allood tae play, Ye made stracht fur the steamer, ower tae Rothesay Bay.

There wis nuthin you liked better, than tae travil doon ta e Gailes, For you were fond o' swimmin' an' ye wurny feart fur whales, Or sometimes you wid visit May an' stay fur twa three days, Them you could go tae Stratford an' see some Shakespeare' s plays.

Luckin' after a' yer weans there wis nae time tae spare, You wid dae a quick job, ironin' on the flair, Ye left the iron sittin' there, an' sadly tae yer cost, When you returned ye saw a hole, but the iron----it was los t.

Anither day ye went take bake, an' screwed yer oven on, When ye suddenly remembert, ye'd take get some fags fur Joh n, On your return ye lit a match an' opent up the door, An' caused a vast explosion that shook ye tae the core.

You've been busy a' yer days wi ae thing and anither, You wurny idle long enough tae rot awa an' wither, Organisin' coffee mornin's even tellin' stories, Jist tae mak a pickle money fure yer friens, the Tories.

They tell me at the Dregon school ye staged a big mock tria l, Ye guid the wrang decision, by the look on ae boy's dial, As you sat there, upon yer chair, high up on the bench, I ast the boys whit they a' thocht, ---- they answert me i n French.

At Holyrood House as you bowed low, when presented tae th e Queen, " Madge, get aff yer knees," she says," yer no on the booli n' green" But you recovert braw an' quick, when she asked fur yer Aun ty Meg, Spierin' if she wis still wi' the Duke an' cookin' him ha n an' eggs.

When the boolers over heard that, you wur three score an' t winty, They said boolin' wis too strenuous, ye should change tae S hinty, Jist the same they clubbed thegither an' bocht a present fo r you, An' made ye an honorary member tae last yer whole life thro ugh.

Your family's long since grown up and each have made a hame, Some hiv gethart money, ithers their share o' fame, Noo they're a' here thegither, they needed nae persuasion, They want tae see their Mum again, an' share this great occ asion.

Noo they hiv families o' their ain, an' they're a' grown u p tae, You've got nineteen gran weans, ye don't see every day, There's ither twa wee bairnies, wi' your bluid in their vei ns, The stert o' the fourth generation --- yer twa wee great gr an weans.

Although I'm absent in the flesh, I'm present in the spirit, I'd like ye a' tae tak yer gless, an' then mak share ye fil lit, An' staun up stracht an' drink a toast, tae yin that we hau d dear, "Tae Madge, oor frien, may she be spared fur ither twinty y ear." Jenny Campbell