This is Walter and Maggie Louden pictured in the 1910s.

Jim Cochrane who shared this photo told me, “They lived in Auchintibber and were friends of my Great Grandparents Robert and Janet Main Photo. It is possibly 1910 or thereabouts. The Loudens apparently emigrated to Canada sometime after this photo was taken.”

Wanting to see if I could put some further info to this, I took a little time out to investigate.

Walter A Louden was born on 6th January 1888. After he married Maggie, they lived at 24 Parkneuk, Auchentibber. Walter was employed as an accountant.

Auchentibber was changing rapidly in 1929. The nearby Inn had changed hands, industry in the area in decline. When he was 41 years old, Walter and his wife Maggie emigrated on 24th August 1929, leaving on the passenger liner “Doric” from Greenock. They set sail on the White Star Liner for Montreal in Canada. They travelled by themselves as third class passengers. The passenger list is telling where it states clearly their intended country of residence in future, was to be Canada.

Walter had made a “scouting trip” on 29th August 1928, the year before, presumably to seek employment and see what opportunity there was to make a life out there. Following their actual emigration in 1929, the couple made several Trans-Atlantic trips, back home to Scotland.

In June 1939, Walter returned home to Scotland to visit relatives. He arrived on 30th June 1939 at Greenock. The timing couldn’t have been worse and the news stories on the radio would have been covering events in Europe as the Nazi War Machine geared up. On 12th August 1939, he left on board passenger ship Andania, departing from Greenock back to Quebec and back to Margaret. The timing was impeccable, for just over 2 weeks later, WAR was declared in Europe and passenger travel across the Atlantic was about to become very, very dangerous.

The couple did however make subsequent visits back to Scotland in May 1951 and in May 1956, staying those trips in Dundee. At no time researching this story, did I find evidence of any children.

On social media:

Janet Cochrane Thank you paul

The Blantyre Project Janet – I have a question for you. Do you know where Auchentibber WELFARE was? It is described as a little hall, but may have been an open plan layout in somebody’s home? I have no idea when it was demolished/finished up, but still suspect it was before your birth. I’d just wondered if you heard of it. Ta

Jim Cochrane That’s great Paul

Janet Cochrane I have never heard of it and there is nobody left that I can ask. The only thing I do remember is that Maggie Wallace who stayed in moorfoot used to have a Sunday school in what used to be the milk house Mr Welsh the minister used to come up and have a service in the school I think it was once a month.