Traditional Scottish Shortbread
Black Bun - a rich dark fruitcake encased in pastry
An 1816 shilling coin
Entertaining Family and Friends
My Father was very friendly with all his relatives and neighbours. If there was a meeting with any of them in the house, it was generally to tea or supper. Whichever it was, it was a hearty feast.Â
If tea, it was a tea with toast and butter on both sides and no mistake, the crust being cut off all round. The slices of toast were built up on the plates twelve or fifteen inches high and put down before a clear bright fire which sent the butter through and through every portion of the bread.Â
Then there would be short bread and bun,probably blackbun, a rich dark fruitcake encased in pastry a regular Scottish tea of the olden time, the toast superintended specially by the good wife of the house.
New Year's Customs
Father began a custom of inviting the principal men in his establishment, together with the heads of families of weavers to supper on the last night of of the year for the purpose of keeping them from the dram shops.Â
The lapping tables were arranged at each others end and he took the top and I the bottom of the table. The meals were large covered dishes of Beef and roast Beef and small Beer, and a few songs and recitations were given. These meetings lasted about three to three and a half hours, parting about eleven o'clock.Â
Another custom which was at this time common in the trade was that on New Year's Day morning, bread and cheese and whisky were provided and put on the desk in the pay room and each weaver who came in got the offer of what he or she would take, together with one shilling.Â
By this time I was exalted to be pay clerk, though only about eleven years old and in consequence I had to attend the distribution of the shillings on New Year's day and when presenting the bread and cheese and the whisky, I found few that would take much, if any. They only put it to their lips, with the expression 'Well, here's wishing' then a laugh, a bow and off, to make room for the next, for you must know only one got into the small pay office at a time.