Mary Anne Smith Portknockie Infant Mistress

Hello,

I recently inherited this beautiful silver plated tray, presented to Miss Mary Anne Smith in 1922 – she was the infant mistress at Portknockie Public School for 42 years!

Mary Anne was the daughter of Elizabeth (Betsy) and William Smith, from Kinellar.
Mary’s sister was Margaret (Maggie) Smith.
Maggie married George Law and had several children whilst living and working at Barnyards of Findlater, Cullen, overlooking Findlater Castle (the children played at the cliff side ruins, not knowing it was a castle!). One of their children was Agnes (Meg) Law, she married George Russell of Insch.
My dad, Dr George Russell, was Meg and George’s eldest son.

The teaching gene…
Mary Ann – infant teacher in Portknockie
Agnes (Meg) Law – primary teacher in north east rural school
Dr George Russell – lecturing was a large part of his medical career, both in Aberdeen and occasionally in the Middle East.
Fiona (Fi) Russell – I taught plant-based living to both primary and secondary children in Edinburgh, and I home educated my two children!

Share a Memory

Do you have a story about Portknockie and its fishing heritage? Maybe you remember the days of the herring boats, the fishermen or the gutting quines who played such an important role. Perhaps you went to school in the village, worked on the boats or had a shop in Portknockie.

You might even have an item or keepsake connected to Portknockie’s fishing past or a tale about one of the great characters who brought the village to life.

Every story, memory and object helps to preserve Portknockie’s heritage and we would love for you to share yours with us. The more we collect, the more we can ensure these moments are never lost.

Mary Anne Smith Portknockie Infant Mistress

Year: 1922 | Story by: Fi Russell

Share a Memory

Song about the Bow Fiddle