Photo: John Auldjo

Photo: John Auldjo

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Born at Inveresk, Edinburgh on 29th August 1892 Robert Irvine Auldjo was the second son of gardener Irvine Auldjo and his wife Jane Brown (nee Jolly). Aged five Robert went to school with his brothers in Monzie, Crieff, Perthshire after his father started work as Head Gardener at Monzie Castle, and the family moved to live in the Gardener’s House. The 1901 Scottish census lists Irvine and Jane, along with their children John William, Robert Irvine, William Jolly, Helen Irvine and Jane Irvine at that address; the family would later be complete with the addition of Mary Jolly, born the following year.

Around 1908 the family moved to live in Northumberland when Irvine became Head Gardener at Swarland Hall near Felton. Robert followed in his father’s footsteps, but returned to live in Scotland, where by 1914 he was working as a gardener for the Earl of Mansfield at Scone Park in Perth.

On 6th August 1914 he left his gardens and joined the Black Watch Regiment in Perth, becoming Private 265369 with the 4th Reserve Battalion. May the following year saw him transferred to the 6th Battalion which left Folkestone for Boulogne at the beginning of May as part of the 51st Highland Division.

Wounded in the neck on 26th June 1915 Robert was treated at #24 General Hospital in Etaples, followed by convalescence, rejoining his unit at the end of July. Six months later during fighting at Millencourt Private Auldjo suffered shell shock and bruising to his face and legs and was treated at hospital in Rouen before being invalided to England on the hospital ship Dover Castle. Discharged from hospital early in January 1916, in September Private Auldjo overstayed his leave and forfeited his pay, it is likely that was when he married Maggie Kay McCulloch Wallace in Portmoak, Kinross.

Robert did not return to France until September 1917, five months after the birth of his son Irvine at home in Perthshire, when he was posted to the 8th Battalion Black Watch. In May 1918 he suffered from the effects of gas and the following month was wounded in his left foot and again invalided to England where at hospital in Northampton he had a toe amputated.

In hospital until December when he was recommended for light duties, that was the end of Robert’s war and his army career ended with his demobilisation in January 1919. Later that same year his daughter Isabella McCulloch Auldjo was born in Earlston near Berwick.

Robert returned to gardening, winning many prizes for his fruit and veg and local shows. He and Maggie returned to live in Edinburgh in the 1940s, and then moved to Kelso where she died in 1968.

Robert Auldjo died in Kelso on 10th February 1976 and was cremated in Edinburgh.

The attached photos have been provided by John Auldjo, grandson.

Robert Irvine Auldjo is remembered at Felton on F14.10 and in Newton-on-the-Moor on N21.01