2024 Week 45: Colourful #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

 Margaret Annie Jean Reid Macmillan, my 'colourful' Aunt Margaret, was born in 1914 in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire to Robert Macmillan, a master plumber from Lanarkshire and his wife, Mary Matheson, a farmer's daughter from the Island of Skye. Margaret was the only daughter, though she did have two elder brothers.

Census records show that the family were still living in Grangemouth in 1921 and at this time they also had a boarder lodging with them, a young Norwegian man. Whether he was the Macmillan's first boarder I do not know, but sometime between 1921 and 1930, the family moved to Glasgow, where the Macmillans opened a boarding house in the West End.

Margaret and her mother Mary. Source: family photo

 In 1935,  still living in her parents' boarding house, Margaret, then aged 21 and working in a shoe store, married George McAra, my father's brother. From this point onwards until George retired, they lived at Sunnyside, a lovely stone built cottage in Cleland, Lanarkshire, a cottage which had been the McAra family home for about a decade. They shared this cottage at this time with George's brother James, his wife and two daughters, one of them my cousin Chrissie.

George and Margaret  Source: family photo

Uncle George was one of my favourite uncles. I saw him a lot as he played bowls regularly with my dad and also used to come on holiday with us as we always went on holidays where my dad could take part in bowling tournaments. I would usually only see Aunt Margaret when we used to go visit them on Sundays after church or at family weddings. But she was a lady who made a big impression!

For a start, she was always immaculately (sometimes quirkily) dressed. She had a fondness for colour, tartan and her leopard print fur coat. I guess her love of tartan may have been handed down to her by her Highland mother. I am certain her love of Scottish music and Highland dancing were. She taught Highland dancing classes to adults and children in her local community. My cousin Chrissie remembers Aunt Margaret being the examiner for her Girl Guide dancing badge. And Aunt Margaret was also a leader in the Guides.

She had numerous hobbies, amongst them floral art. She also enjoyed cycling and was often seen out and about on her bike with a basket on the front. 

She struck me as a very independent woman. She and George had no children. She seemed to have lots of friends, whom no doubt she met through her various activities. She was very fond of her brother, Ronnie, who lived with them for as long as I can remember. She went on holiday with him, while Uncle George came with us. It may seem a bit strange looking back, as women in her day would have gone away with their husband, but Aunt Margaret had no interest in bowls, so she just did her own thing.

She called George, 'Mac' and she called my dad, whose name was John, 'Jake'. She really had her own way of doing things.

She once gave me a pair of shoes that she no longer wanted. They were pointed toe lilac heeled slingbacks! I loved them! Neither my mum or any of my other aunts would have worn shoes like that! Aunt Margaret was a cool, colourful lady!

Margaret Macmillan (1914-1992)