Inventory and Valuation

Today's the day ..................... to make a list

Do you remember a while back I wrote about a previous owner of the house we live in?  Aileen Montgomery lived here for more than thirty years from 1931 to 1965, at first with her husband Robert and then, after his death, with her sister Margaret.

Today, we had a lovely visit from another Margaret - the niece of Aileen and Margaret.  She grew up in Northern Ireland but was a regular visitor at her Aunt's house during the summer holidays.  She would make the journey unaccompanied, firstly by sea to Stranraer and then on the train to Castle Douglas, where she would be picked up at the station and brought here by car.  

Needless to say, she loved coming to stay with her Aunts, who I'm sure were equally pleased to see her.  She could tell us so much about how the house was back then and her memories of time spent with her Aunts.  She gave us the above Inventory & Valuation of Personal Effects - a 5-page handwritten account of everything in the house on 25th February 1947, made after the death of Aileen's husband Robert.  It makes fascinating reading, not least because we now know that the 'Lounge' is where we have the kitchen.

The slightly uncanny thing, of which we were completely unaware until it came up in conversation, was that Aileen died on the 10th December 1980.  So, on this very day - forty-one years ago ..........................!