Peter Macpherson
Client
Peter Macpherson (1865–1950) was born in Ayr. By the time of his marriage to Christian McLaren in Edinburgh in January 1889 he was a draper's assistant in Comrie, Perthshire. In 1891, he was employed by James Brough, merchant, of Comrie; by 1900 he had become a partner in the drapery and ironmongery business and the shop signage reflected this.
On 29 May 1903, a fire destroyed the shop, rooms and workshops above and damaged the neighbouring offices of solicitor John Peter Mitchell. Following the fire, Macpherson bought the buildings from Brough's widow and commissioned Charles Rennie Mackintosh to redesign and refurbish them. Mitchell acted as his legal representative throughout the design and building process and corresponded regularly with Mackintosh. 1 The shop continued to be known as Brough & Macpherson until 1988 when Macpherson's granddaughter, Nora Hamilton, retired from running it. 2
By the time of the 1911 census Peter and Christian Macpherson had seven children: Charles (b. 1890), a draper's assistant; Mary Blanche (b. 1892); William (b. 1894); Christian (b. 1896); Alexander (b. 1898); James Kenneth (b. 1900) and Rebecca (b. 1906). The family lived at 'Chattan', Burrell Street, Comrie.
Notes:
1: Perth & Kinross Council Archive: Mitchell & Thomson, Solicitors, Letter Books, vol. 10, 20 Januaury–11 December 1903, MS114/1/10, pp. 355, 580, 594, 659, 660, 721, 22, 799, 906, 933; vol. 11, 12 December 1903–17 January 1905, MS114/1/11, pp. 13, 24, 86, 95, 128, 268, 569; vol. 12, 17 January 1905–14 March 1906, MS114/1/12, pp. 142, 155, 202, 323, 410, 743, 900. Letters from John P. Mitchell to Charles R. Mackintosh, 140 Bath Street, Glasgow.
2: Strathearn Herald, 5 March 1988, p. 8.
