Midlothian archives
Bryce Family
Name of creator
The Bryce family of Roslin
Biographical history
This collection of glass plates photographs is named after the Bryce family of Roslin. From about 1880 to the Second World War, two generations of the family lived and worked in a draper’s shop and post office on Roslin High Street. One daughter of the family, Margaret or ‘Maggie’ married a man called Thomas Ritchie, who was a keen amateur photographer. In the early years of the twentieth century, Ritchie took many photographs of Roslin and the surrounding area. Some of these were made into postcards and sold in the Roslin post office.
On 16 July 1858, George Bryce (born c.1829 in Roslin) married Fanny Crawford Law (born c.1836 in Glencorse). The couple had two daughters: Marion Anderson Bryce (born 13 August 1859 in Roslin) and Margaret or ‘Maggie’ Bryce (born 22 April 1862 in Roslin).
The census of 1881 shows the Bryce family living in the Post Office on Roslin High Street. George’s occupation is given as a millwright and Margaret, his daughter, a letter carrier. Hector Law, George’s father-in-law, is also living at the same address. Ten years later, the family are still in the post office. George is described as a gunpowder packer, Marion a milliner and Maggie a telegraphist. By 1901, George has become a postmaster and newsagent.
Margaret Bryce married Thomas or ‘Tom’ Ritchie on 30 April 1897 in Roslin. Thomas Ritchie, who was also known as ‘Frosset’, was born around 1864 in Glasgow. In 1891, he is living in Roslin and working as a labourer.
On 21 March 1902, the Midlothian Journal carried an obituary to ‘Mrs [Fanny] Bryce of the Post Office’. George Bryce died on 16 November 1912 at Roslin and after his death his daughters took over the house and shop in Roslin.
Physical description
257 glass plate negatives; 12 lantern slides; 65 original photographs; 125 modern photographic prints; and 2 CD-ROMs.
Scope and content
The Bryce Collection contains many unique images of Roslin village before the First World War, including street scenes, buildings, Rosslyn Chapel and Castle, Roslin Glen, Roslin Gala Day and other local events, and images of local people. The collection also contains images of the Midlothian countryside, including the Dryden and Bush estates; Glencorse parish, and the Pentland Hills.
Archival history
In the 1940s, Mrs Margaret (Meg) Campbell (née Bryce), the great-niece of George Bryce, moved from Glasgow and took over the family business in Roslin. The collection of photographs and negatives were stored in an attic and largely forgotten. In 1993, Mrs Campbell donated the collection to Midlothian Local Studies and stipulated that it should be known as the ‘Bryce Collection’. After the donation, members of the Roslin Heritage Society researched and identified many of images, and some of the images were used in the book Old Roslin (Stenlake, 2003). The Society made electronic scans of the images, and these are included in the collection on CD-ROM.
System of arrangement
| Reference | Subject | Format |
|---|---|---|
| BRY/1/1-26 | General views of Roslin and Roslin streets. | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/2/1-19 | Roslin buildings and houses | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/3/1-16 | Roslin churches | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/4/1-18 | Roslin Glen and Hawthornden | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/5/1-16 | Roslin people | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/6/1-11 | Roslin Gala Days and Events | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/7/1-4 | Polton | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/8/1-7 | Dryden Estate, near Roslin | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/9/1-5 | Bush Estate, near Roslin | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/10/1-7 | Glencorse area | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/11/1-13 | The Pentland and Moorfoot Hills | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/12/1-20 | Unidentified | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/13/1-25 | Roslin and surrounding area | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/14/1-9 | Roslin Glen | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/15/1-20 | Roslin Gala Days and Events | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/16/1-8 | Curling | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/17/1-3 | Dryden Estate, near Roslin | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/18/1-8 | Glencorse and the Pentland and Moorfoot Hills | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/19/1-22 | Unidentified | Glass plate negative |
| BRY/20/1-12 | Lantern slides | Lantern slides |
| BRY/21/1-66 | Photographs without negatives | Photographic prints |
Access and conditions governing use
There are no restrictions on access to or conditions governing use of this collection.
Related materials
Winnie Stevenson and Veronica Meikle Old Roslin (Stenlake, 2003)
Kenneth R Bogle and Susan Falconer The Pentland Hills (Stenlake, 2010)