Woollen mill manufacturer, Reid & Taylor

Fred was two in 1880 when his father Henry obtained an uncontested divorce from his mother Mary. This was followed by two attempts by Mary to have it overturned on the claim that Henry had obtained the divorce by fraud, i.e. by promising her £100 per year and part guardianship of the children if she did not contest it. She was unsuccessful on both occasions and was ordered to pay costs.

Mary emigrated to the USA where she died in Seattle, Washington, in 1897. Her uncles George Bowman (1813-1872) and Andrew Bowman (1822-1892) owned Wauchope mill from 1861 to 1873 and her brother Ackroyd Bowman (1846-1878) owned Ford mill from 1875 to 1878.

Fred Graham and his elder brother Richard went to Sedbergh boarding school in Cumbria, then joined their father’s business, Reid & Taylor.

Their father Henry had a large house built in 1885, which he called Holmwood, on a hill above the New Town. He was a justice of the peace and was on the School Board, as well as being a member of the New Town Bowling Club and the Eskdale Curling Club. He was also president of the Golf Club from 1903 to his death in 1909.

Fred married Annie Macpherson, a minister’s daughter, in Elgin, Moray, in 1915 (see 2nd December in the Diary). After recovering from an injury during military training prior to getting married, he joined the 2nd/1st Lothians and Border Horse in 1916 as a private and served in France in 1916-1917. He was a keen cricketer and golfer, seen below as captain of Langholm cricket team.

Richard Graham ran Reid & Taylor alone while Fred was in France, but died in December 1918 after a short illness, aged 44. He had been married for five years but had no children.

Fred moved into Holmwood and ran the company until 1933 when he too died young, at age 55, also with no children.

His wife Annie remained active as a director of the business for a number of years.

Born	Langholm, 1877
Parents	Henry Graham (1846-1909), Mary Bowman (1852-1897)
Siblings	Youngest of 5 siblings: 3 sisters including twins (one twin died in infancy), 2 brothers
Marriage	Ann Macpherson, church minister’s daughter (1882-1973) in Elgin, 1915
Children	–
Died	Holmwood, 1933, Langholm, aged 55