The following are the main characters in the Diary (a year in the life of the town).

Town council

Name	Role	Comments
Thomas Easton	Provost	Grain merchant. Opposed the Common Riding during wartime.
John Cairns	Senior bailie (magistrate)	Co-owner of Ford woollen mill.
Alexander Montgomery	Junior bailie (magistrate)	Hairdresser. Resigned after being accused of vote-rigging.
Major Edward Bell	Councillor (leave of absence for war service)	Director of Buccleuch woollen mill. Wounded in Gallipoli.

Business owners

Name	Business	Comments
Joe Anderson	Watchmaker	Also jeweller and fishing supplies.
Arthur Bell	Woollen mill	Buccleuch mill. Chairman of School Board.
Charles Paisley	Tannery	Chairman of Parish Council.
Robert Ramage	Painter	President, Old Town Bowling Club. Instigator of attempted cancellation of Common Riding.
Walter Wilson	Newspaper, stationery	Owned and published the Eskdale & Liddesdale Advertiser. Agent for various shipping lines.

Churches

Name	Role	Comments
James Buchanan	Minister	Church of Scotland.
George Orr	Minister	North United Free Church of Scotland. Founder, Townhead Literary Society. Co-founder Eskdale & Liddesdale Archaeological Society.

Gentry

Name	Title	Comments
John Montagu Douglas Scott	7th Duke of Buccleuch	6th Duke died in November 1914.
Walter Montagu Douglas Scott	Earl of Dalkeith	Eldest son of Duke of Buccleuch.
John Milne Home	Duke of Buccleuch’s chamberlain (household manager) and factor	Related to the 7th Duke by marriage.
Ary Miesegaes	‘Gentleman farmer’	From a wealthy Dutch East Indies family.

Other

Name	Role	Comments
Lady Ewart	Commandant	Red Cross Hospital. Wife of Sir Spencer Ewart, head of Scottish military forces.
John Milne Home	Member	Duke of Buccleuch’s chamberlain (household manager) and factor (land agent).
James Morrison	Clerk	Town registrar. Inspector of the Poor.

< Diary … Preface: 1914 summary >