Postcard by A R Montgomery, Juniper Green

Where in Juniper Green?

Juniper Green lies beside the Water of Leith, about 5 miles to the south-west of the centre of Edinburgh.

Question

This photograph appears to show the entrance to one of the large houses at Juniper Green. Does anybody know which house?

Answer 1

Thank you to Peter Tuffy, Juniper Green, Edinburgh, for sending me the following answer:

Baberton Golf Club Entrance

I think the photograph in question is the entrance to Baberton Golf Club. Certainly the pillar on the right hand side is still there as part of Juniper Green Primary School.

The house in question could be Baberton house which lies at the bottom of this entrance now owned by Crudens the builders. They have erected a new entry off the path continuing from Westburn Road.

Answer 2

Thank you to Michael for sending the following additional information:

Baberton Golf Club and Baberton House

Your first respondent is nearly correct. I can remember playing in the garden of that house, probably in the early 1960's.

The large house in the background behind the trees is Baberton Golf Clubhouse. The road does eventually lead to Baberton House, although it was never used much - mostly to access the clubhouse.

The lodge house was demolished (with undue haste?) probably in the late 60's or early 70's - I don't know why. There's nothing left of it now except, I think, a small coal bunker attached to the school wall.

The footpath to Baberton housing estate goes alongside where the house would have been.

Michael. 16 September 2005

Recollections

Please click here to read recollections of Baberton House.

The Postcard

The postcard above is from A R Montgomery's 'Real Photo' Series.

A R Montgomery was based at Juniper Green. His name is printed on the back of the postcard and his initials appear on the front in white script at the foot of the fence.

The date on the postmark is not clear, but the half-penny stamp on the card is from the period 1902-04. The card has a divided back, so could not have been posted before September 02.

Enlarge this view

Enlarge the signature

Colinton

Here is another postcard by AR Montgomery. The view is of the Water of Leith at Colinton. I don't know when this Colinton postcard was published. It was not posted until January 1932.

A R Montgomery - Postcard Publisher

Thank you to D Richard Torrance for researching A R Montgomery and his postcards. The results of Richard's research appear in a short illustrated article in Lothian Postcard Club's Newsletter , Issue 32, March 2008.

Richard discovered that:

- A R Montgomery published several postcards of the Pentland Hills, to the SW of Edinburgh

- AR Montgomery's initials appear in the picture (sometimes in quite a prominent place) on most or possibly all of his postcards.

- A R Montgomery gives his address as Juniper Green, but he was not living there at the time of the 1901 census. A wider search of the 1901 census found that he was living in Leith at the time.

- Birth and death certificates show that his his full name was Alexander Robert Montgomery and that he was born at 13 James Street, Pilrig, Edinburgh, son of James Montgomery, coachman, and Jessie Robertson.

- In 1900, A R Montgomery married Eliza Wilcock in Chester, England.

- His first child was born in South Leith, 1901. Another child was born at Pentland Cottage, Juniper Green, 1910

- By 1901, AR Montgomery was an Ordnance Survey tracer, living at 14 Dalmeny Street, Leith Walk.

- A R Montgomery and family moved to Juniper Green, living at Pentland Cottage, Baberton Avenue (1903-1921) then at Cairnbank, Baberton Avenue (from 1922).

- A R Montgomery died in 1940, but his family continued to live at Cairnbank, Baberton Avenue until 1950.

Acknowledgment: D Richard Torrance, Edinburgh, May 5, 2008