WATSON ALEXANDER SCOTT AND AGNES (nee KEDSLIE)
From my father's notes:
James Watson was the Supervisor of Excise when his eldest son was born at Mill Bank in the Parish of Campsie on the 14th June 1810. This was Alexander Scott Watson who emigrated to Poland in May 1834 taking up a post with the Polish Bank to be Engineer in Charge of Factories and Foundaries in Silesia. He was an expert in steam power and introduced Neilsons hot-blast process in using heated air to fan furnaces; this process which had been developed in Scotland and patented in 1828 reduced the quantity and halved the cost of fuel for smelting.
As soon as Alexander Scott Watson was settled in Dabrowa he sent for his fiance Agnes Kedslie, and they were married in Warsaw on 19th June 1834 by the Rev. Mr Smith, no doubt because Agnes' brother was well established in Warsaw.
Alexander Scott Watson married Agnes Keslie and moved to Poland. More can be seen under WATSON IN POLAND
Alexander became an engineer through the bank and worked mainly with railway engines. The following letter to his parents is dated 1844 and gives us a great insight into the difficulties working there.
LETTER FROM ALEXANDER WATSON in Poland TO HIS FATHER in Scotland
This has been transcribed from a typed copy probably for my father. I have no idea if any of the idiosyncrasies in spelling or wording that crept in in that earlier transcription nor where the original may be. There are a few gaps in that copy where the handwritten was not clear. I have retained the spellings found.
A great deal can be learnt of between the lines.
“Nan” appears to be his endearment name for his wife Agnes. A sister of this Kedslies was also in Poland. There is also reference to a “little Nan” - possibly his daughter Agnes.
He refers to his in-law as “Mr Kedslie”. And it is therefore possible that “Mr Talbot” is a relative. That name occurs as a middle name for a brother - “Thomas Talbot Watson”.
The reference to a Mr Wright sleeping with other men's wives is a joke based on the circumstances.
Near the end is a reference to Tom's medical practice. This is presumably his brother and not his uncle, also Thomas, who was to move from Poland to Macau as a doctor.
Dabrowa 10th June 1844
My Dear Parents.
Your welcome letter of the 14th May I received about the beginning of this month. I was again beginning to be anxious as I thought you would keep to our agreement of writing about the first of the month whether you had anything to say or not, it is believe me enough for us when we see a little bit be it ever so so little from each of you, if it only tells us that you are well; but I am sorry to see that this is not the case and that you My Dear Father especially, had been again complaining. I trust however that by now the fine summer weather will have operated beneficially and restore you again, how often do we regret that we are so far away from you all, were we only in Great Britain altho hundreds of miles separated, now adays with the speedy means of conveyance which you have, we might be with you if any of you was ill in a day or two, but as we are now weeks are not sufficient instead of days, it is no use to repine if it is the will of Providence we must bow to the decree and endeavour to be content a lucky chance may perhaps come yet at any rate let us write oftener, and if we cannot converse face to face let us at least do so through the medium of pen to paper. My first look when I open your letter is for Papas and Mama's peice. I found Mama's at once and read it first and saw that you My Dear Father had been ill, your piece from being very little and written at the top of the page with the paper reversed I did not at first notice, and I immediately conceived that you were ill that you could write me, but I thank you a thousand times that you did write me altho it was little still it put my mind much more at ease than it would have been had there been none. You must not be angry should this be a shorter letter than usual and the rest must not take it amiss if I do not write them as in the first place I want to keep time as near as possible in the second I have as usual not much to say, and in the third since I received your letter I have been so busy that I never had time to take up my pen to you. I was several days from home and when I am at home we have so much correspondence with our new Direction that altho I may say the Workshops are next thing to shut (as there are not more than a dozen of men working) we have more to do in the office than I had two hundred men in employment. I have likewise to go off this afternoon or early tomorrow morning on a journey of about 70 miles at one stretch and shall not be back before Saturday. I know that you will be fretting to hear from us before you get this and rather than keep it a week longer I shall endeavour to finish it today altho it should be shorter than usual, and altho I have a good deal to do in the office. You know as well as I do what Government service is and how strict, but with our English Government they have a system, here there is none, with an exception or two those who are at the head of the Departments entirely ignorant of what they have to do to give you an instance of it in the Engineering Division the situation of Director is still vacant and the Head Director on being asked who was to do the duties of it (that is to say revise the plans, improve them, or to see if they would like be sufficient for the purposes required, overhaul the estimates and ) answered “Oh, the Auditor of the Accounts or my private secretary can do that that is a trifle”. Mr Strahler who was formerly here and my coadjutor for the last ten years in building the Establishment has gone to Warsaw being advanced to the post of Director of the Building Division and he heard him say so, you may quip if such is his opinion of perhaps the duties of the weightiest portion of his administration what an idea he must have of the whole. He is a bred Russian soldier and has no further recommendation to the situation he holds than he is a favourite of the Emperors and of Prince Paskewitsch, for he is a headstrong hasty, and passionate man it is impossible that things can continue long as they are. Saving is the only word which we have internally, played into our ears, but as I have been obliged several times to answer them, there is a boundary to every thing and to saving as well as by injudicious saving saving in one point you may be the cause of loss to twenty times the amount in another they had written me rather sharply from our head office here as all our correspondence is not direct with the Department and only through it and I answered them as sharply if not more so, and the had the impudence to tell me if I did so again that they would lay me before the Department and have me put to arrest. I dared them to try it and requested of them, indeed insisted, that they would send the whole correspondence in the original to the Department. Our Inspector has got an assistant who is a thousand times worse than he is, because he is only a quiet driver, and he is at the bottom of it, we have some sessions twice a week where all the officers come together perhaps a dozen to discuss business and to decide on matters which individually we do not like to be responsible for, he had vexed me by letter and I went with the full determination of having a row, my steam was up and as well as I could in Polish I gave him a good dressing before them all. I meant to tell him that something he asserted was not true and tho it is a distinction without a difference, it seems in my bad Polish I gave them the lie direct they all looked at one another wondering what was to come next, but he pocketed the affront and I have heard no more about it since, and for the rest of the day he was my obedient it is the only way to serve these gentry here, a good drubbing would sometimes be of service but that we dare not, so they nip in words and if that won't do they get it on black and white, they had better let me alone as they come worst off. I formerly did not used to be so severe on them, but now adays none of them escape. I only wish I could write them in English that is to say that they could understand it if I did so and then they should have it hot and heavy. You can quip what a work an Estimate now adays is to make when I have an engine or any piece of work to do I must first say how many of cast iron, malleable iron, and brass will be required, how much for patterns, wages and materials, how much for turning (indeed how many square inches are to be turned or bored) and much workmen's wages will cost in the fitting and putting up, if I am below the Estimate when the work is finished good well there is nothing to be said, but if I am above it they have no funds and insist upon me paying the difference. I had an instance the other day. I was putting up a new Engine and we found that she had been wrong constructed at the first in the Valves and which I could know nothing of by looking at her as she lay asunder, accordingly she cost some £35 more than I had estimated, we had to apply to the Treasury for a new fund to pay this, and upon the ground that I was not in fault and could not have foreseen this they allowed it. You may easily imagine that with all these things to bother one, every day something or another new and unpleasant, my situation is not very pleasant, there is however nothing to be done, but be content and hope for better times. There is one blessing that bothered as I may be with business out of doors I have a happy home to come to, for My Dear Nan is always ready with a smile and a word to cheer me when I am dull and with my Darling boys and girls serves to drive dull care away were it not so I don't know what I should do sometimes, but home I come work a bit in my garden, so set Nan to play and have a dance or a tumble with the children, they are then packed off to bed I take a book and Nan her work and then we in our turns tumble off to bed also and forget one troubles in sleep. We seldom go anywhere I go once a month to the office to get my salary once or twice a week as I feel inclined to the Sessions, an acquaintance who has a garden lives close by and sometimes call in to see it, but excepting these and twice to coffee by Mr. Cieskowskei I have not been under a private roof for the last two years in Dabrowa. With the other English we hold we may say no intercourse whatever the used me ill, so I cut the acquaintance further than a how dye do, excepting with my Assistant, Bloxidge who although a vulgar illiterate man, sticks to be through thick and thin. We often go to Mr. Talbots and he comes often here generally every fortnight or three weeks, they are our best friend. He and I are like brothers and Nan and Mrs. Talbot like sisters. I don't know what we would do if we had not them, if anything goes wrong we take advice with one another. He has also often unpleasanties and as he is no great scribe I generally give him a lift and as his Masters understand English they get the truth told them sometimes, that is to say they are written to quite independently, and always with the best effect, generally the begged pardon, did not mean to offend and they are sensible of his worth and would not like to lose him. I am certain they might seek all England, France and Germany to boot and they would not find one who could suit them so well.
I had hoped that they would have joined in the speculation with me of commencing an Engine shop in Lainahutte but they wrote me to say that since their nephew died there (of whom they were very fond) they cannot bear to hear the name of the works and cannot think of laying out more money on them. They had intended to commence an Engine establish him but since his death they had given up all thoughts of it. They said if I wished it they would endeavour to get me a situation under the Russian Government. I have however had enough of Government situations and when I do I change it must be to my own masters, besides in Prussia officers are worse paid than in Poland and also have many unpleasanties. My other speculation with Mr. Schayer has likewise, at least in the meantime, been stopped. We could hardly raise money enough and besides an Englishman from Leeds named Jackson, son-in-law of the late Mathew Murray, of Fenton Murray and Wood has taken the Tarki Factory, in Poland for a term of nine years to make principally Locomotives for the Polish Railway but also to make Engines and machinery and send them over to Russia. I think he will not be long of tiring of the speculation, but he is a monied man and we could not compete with him, a short time however will shew, for he has taken Redgate for his manager and we know him already, it is a foolish speculation as he could make his work much cheaper in England and if he fetches English workmen he must give them enormous wages if he employs Poles or Germans altho their wages are cheaper they do not do half the work and not half so well so we shall be obliged to have a little patience and wait the result of their speculation before we begin ours. I cannot hold my attention here and carry on a business in Prussia alone, were Jamie to come out it would be another thing but even that under the present circumstance I would never think of and besides in all new undertakings it is sad uphill work for a year or two at the first and as I have a wife and family to maintain, I must even put up with unpleasantries on their account before I throw a way a situation of at least £300 a year. They are not every where to be had now adays, and a business here must be carried on pretty briskly to yield that for two or three partners and the manager to pay as much. Nan is still in Warsaw it is five weeks since yesterday since she left this. I have had a letter from her every week and am happy to say, she writes me she is quite well and getting strong again, and up to the last time she wrote no symtoms of fever. God grant that it may keep away from her this year and we may then hope that she will not have it again. I expect her home again in about then days, I trust in God restored to health and strength. She has been part of the time in the country at Mr. Kedslies about 12 miles on the other side of Warsaw. She has Jamie with her who has enjoyed himself very much with his cousins. But she writes me that she sent a letter to you by Mr. Ward – he intend visiting Scotland when you will have the opportunity of seeing him and getting all the news of Poland. Had I recollected this I should not have been in such a hurry in writing but it did not come into my head until just now and as I am so far on I shall finish altho I must start on my journey in the course of a couple of hours, for as I was writing yesterday I received orders to take off a peice of road (off the contract lands) about 14 miles long and I had to leave this and start at a moments notice. The day was tremendously hot and when I got home it was with difficulty I could sign some papers which were necessary let alone finishing this letter. I am glad to see that business in our line is improving, perhaps something may in the course of time cast up for me and enable us to return to our native land., how I do wish that my back were to this country for ever. I am glad to see that Jamie is getting on so well in Glasgow, now is the time for improving himself and gaining knowledge he says that they were very busy with shop and that he is learning a great deal. Tell him I shall write him a letter for himself by Mr. Wright as well as to each of you, do not however wait till then but write on or about the first of July even altho you do not write as much as usual. I do not know what I have written as I would not read it over again for something perhaps a great deal too much about myself but you know this corner of the world I have little else to write about and I know what concerns me interests you. Mr Wright will return in two or three weeks, but his Engine is not yet finished and it is likely he will not leave this before he starts her. He is terribly put about and very disconcerted at being kept so long as when he left England he expected to get home in a month again and it is now three and he is not yet finished. He will take a parcel of letters for you. You ask me what the duty carriage and cost, I enquired of him but he said it was such a mere trifle that he would not tell me. He is a most agreeable pleasant and sensible man. He comes often over with Mr Talbot and stays a daay or two with us and I often over there. I assure you it is quite a treat to get a sensible crack with a well educated Englishman fresh from England. He is in Methodist and very strict and of course is quite shocked at the ongoings of the people here. He went to Warsaw with Nan and Mrs. Talbot and the accommodation was so bad on the road that they had to all sleep in one room twice. I believe I threatened to let Mrs. Wright know of his ongoings her for that he had gone of with other mens wives and slept with them, it certainly could be made to sound very funny, especially to English ears. Mrs. Talbot took very dangerously ill immediately after her arrival in Warsaw of inflammation of the liver. The Doctors said had they been called in an hour later it would have been all over with her. Nan writes me that she is now greatly better tho very weak and the perhaps this may keep them from returning so soon as they intended. Nan was at her brother's at the time but they sent for her. And now My Dear Parents I must conclude as my time is nearly up. I trust by the time this reaches you you will have been able to make out your trip to Stirling and that you are enjoying the hill breezes with Katie and George and that they will restore you again to strength. I think Katie was quite right in proposing that you spend the winter also with them as Mama is not strong and the managing of the house is too much for her. I wish my little Nan were a year or two older and nearer you and could have her for a little housekeeper. Since her Mama went to Warsaw she had an accident and it is a wonder that she was not killed on the spot. She jumped as she says herself into one of the openings into a Canal which goes under the works to carry off the water. The hole was at least 12 feet deep and she fell to the bottom where there was a cast iron pipe and tho she got a fright she had not a scratch upon her. I was not at home but I received notice of it before I got home and you may imagine the state of mind I was in until I did so I found her standing in the passage crying because the old woman who has charge of the children would not give her a clean pair of trousers as she had dirtied those she had on in the hole. I rather think she had been trying to jump across the hole as it was not wide and she is always playing such pranks, and had not jumped far enough and so fell in. It was from carelessness of one of the Engine keepers who had not covered it up properly with the plate which belonged to it. It was a narrow escape and I cannot be grateful enough to providence which preserved her from being killed upon the spot. I am sorry to see that Tom complains that his business is so bad I would fain hope that it will improve, it requires time to establish a medical practice tell him to excuse me that I have not written him but that I shall do so with Mr. Wright.
Give my kindest regards to George and Katie, Tom and his lady, and to Jamie and tell them all I shall write them all per Mr. Wright. Compliments to all enquiring friends. The children are romping about like little ponies and send a kiss to Grandma and Grandpa and now my Dearest Parents may God watch over, protect and bless you with long life and health and every earthly good is the continual is the continual and daily prayer of your ever affectionate Son – Alex Watson
Be sure to write about the first to keep up the chatter. Excuse haste as the horses are before the door for the last two hours to take me away on my journey.
