William Buchanan

   Cause of his death was Asthma, Bronchitis 2/3 years.

   User ID: ID12.

  General Notes:

From the Aberdeen Free Press dated 20th December 1872.

Death of Mr. William Buchanan. -Our obituary today contains the name of one of
whose decease demands a passing notice – Mr. William Buchanan, known to many of
our readers as the author of a pleasing little book ,"Glimpses of Olden Days in
Aberdeen", the sketches composing which appeared originally in the columns of the
Free Press.

Wm Buchanan was born at Tain in1807 and was thus in the 65th year of of his age at
the time of his death. His father was a soldier, and while William was still quite a young
child, the family were for a time at Woolwich. After the peace that followed Waterloo, the
elder Buchanan received his discharge and came to Aberdeen when the subject of this
notice was a boy of seven.

He entered the employment Leys, Masson & Co., and there William was bred to the
craft of a Linen Weaver, under his father’s care. At that craft he wrought until machinery
displaced the handloom, when he turned to Wincey Weaving, and continued at that kind
of work until a few years ago, when he had to give it up, partly through the like causes
as before and partly through failing health.

As is abundantly proved by his "Glimpse" already referred to, Mr. Buchanan was a man
of much intelligence, accurate habits of observation and excellent descriptive powers.
The minute accuracy, indeed, with which he recollected the Aberdeen and the
Aberdonians half a century ago, was something quite unusual.

Among his old companions at the loom was William Thom, author of "The Mitherless
Bairn": and we believe he knew more of Thom and had formed a juster estimate of his
somewhat shaded life and character, than any contemporary accounts supply. In this
respect, his recollections of the Inverurie poet, given in three chapters, under the title
"William Thom and his Times", possess a special value of their own.

It may be said that William Buchanan himself had his share of the poetic gift and
produced several pleasing rhymes, some of which were marked by true feeling and
fancy. For one who had been so literally self taught and had so well known what a life of
struggle and sorrow means, the range of his information and sympathies was
remarkable.

In antiquarian and not a few scientific subjects, he manifested a keen interest and a
good deal of knowledge and could speak on them with great intelligence. While in the
true sense a man of the people, he was loyal to enthusiasm. Our good Queen was the
object of his high admiration and frequent eulogy, and on few things would he speak
with more emphatic condemnation than of a crude republicanism.

He was a decided upholder of temperance principles; and while hardly enough pressed
in circumstances, manifested throughout a strong spirit of independence. Mr. Buchanan,
who had been twice married, was a widower and leaves three grown up sons, by one of
whom, living in Aberdeen, it is right to say, his last days were carefully and
affectionately tended.



  Medical Notes:

Certified by James Burr, Surgeon
Reported by William Buchanan, Son and Inmate

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence: time of Census, 1851, 60 Gallowgate, Aberdeen, Scotland. ^{5 6}

• Occupation: Winsey Weaver.

• Residence, 1861, 14 Innes Street, Aberdeen, Scotland. ⁷

• Residence, 1869, 8 Innes Street, Aberdeen, Scotland.

• Residence: time of Census, 1841, Aberdeen, Scotland.

• Occupation: Writer: Aberdeen, Scotland. His articles were collected and published together by the Aberdeen Free Press in 1870 as 'Glimpses of Olden Days in Aberdeen'.

William married Isobel Edward, daughter of William Edward and Helen Davidson, on 29 Mar 1840 in Fetteresso, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire.¹ (Isobel Edward was born on 30 Sep 1819 in Dunnottar, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, Scotland, died on 8 Apr 1858 in 8 Innes Street, Aberdeen, Scotland ⁸ and was buried in John Knox Churchard, Aberdeen, Scotland ⁹.) The cause of her death was Fever.

William next married Isabella Booth, daughter of William Booth and Ann Leith, on 13 May 1859 in Charlotte Street, Aberdeen, Scotland.² (Isabella Booth was born in 1819 in St Nicholas, Aberdeen, Scotland and died on 20 Jan 1869 in Reids Place, 144 Gallowgate, Aberdeen ¹⁰.) The cause of her death was Cerebral Softening - 12 months.