🥃 Leith's Whisky Web
Email newsletter originally sent to subscribers on 11 July 2024
Since setting up the Leith Whisky Trail back in 2017, my research into the Scotch whisky trade in and around the port has certainly taken me along a few winding paths as well as down several wee rabbit holes.
One thing that has always fascinated me, though, is the extensive yet intricate web of relationships - both professional and personal - which joined people together there.
And the Pattisons were no exception to this.
In 1892, Walter (the younger of the two infamous brothers - there were other less infamous ones!) married a certain Eliza Swan (her father, James, became one of the directors of Pattisons Ltd when it was floated in 1896). For those of you interested in what Eliza looked like, here’s a photo of her wearing a hat, probably considered the height of fashion back in the day. With ‘height’ being the operative word.
The couple were married at St Andrew’s Church on George Street, Edinburgh. Eliza’s sister, Kate, married her husband on the same day at the same church just beforehand - maybe there was some kind of two for one deal with the church that day? 😉
Anyway, back to Walter (do you see what I mean about rabbit holes?). His sister, Laura, was one of the witnesses at the wedding. And the other? A certain William Mark Sanderson, son of the Leith blender (and at this point, also distiller) William Sanderson of VAT69 fame. William Mark was already playing a prominent role in the company and it wouldn’t be too long before he was made a partner.
William Mark Sanderson (without a hat 😉)
We know the Sandersons and the Pattisons had good business relationships and moved in the same circles of society. But it also appears as though Walter and William Mark were good friends too.
Did the collapse of Pattisons Ltd strengthen or break that friendship? I’ll need to dig a wee bit deeper before I have the answer to that.
Slà inte!
Justine