The author wishes to record his huge gratitude to his father Ian, whose elephantine memory has provided a very substantial factual basis on which to begin this journey.

The other person without whom this document would never have existed is his wife Susan. To spend so much time and effort getting to the bottom of someone else’s genealogy and history is pretty selfless stuff, but her enthusiasm has never flagged once, and indeed has often re-inspired me when we seemed to be getting nowhere.

Other family members who have provided information or assistance include Rick, Mike and Rory Bremner.

But there are very many others who have taken an active interest in the project, and provided much more than they needed to make the story come alive; Hilda Coleman, who lives at St James Terrace Glasgow, Rebecca Quinton of the Glasgow Museum of Textiles, Lori Clapp of Strathcona County and researcher Jane Ross.