3rd January 1917 Wednesday

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“The Countess of Mansfield and party, including Lady Dewar, gave the men tea and a concert in the hospital on the 3rd January 1917. The tea was a huge success judging from the sounds emanating from the dining hall. The concert afterwards was excellent. Later on the staff had a dance to which we had invited a few of our Perth friends. With the aid of three pounds of boracic powder I got the floor of the dining hall into good condition for dancing. Needless to say the evening was a great success.”

The Countess of Mansfield

This was clearly Lady Margaret Helen Mary Murray (nee MacGregor) Countess of Mansfield, whose home was the nearby Scone Palace. Scone was and is the seat of the Earls of Mansfield.

Lady Margaret Elizabeth Dewar

Referred to by Douglas as Lady Dewar, Lady Margaret Elizabeth Dewar was the wife of the 1st Baron Forteviot, John Dewar, chairman of John Dewar and Sons, the whisky company.

Baron Forteviot had been responsible for the Dewar Report of 1912, which was favouring the introduction of a revolutionary health reform system to try and improve the lot of Scotland’s poor. Maybe this partly explains his wife’s interest in the hospital? On the following day the 4th January 1917 according to The Peerage.com, she became Baroness Forteviot. http://thepeerage.com/p8027.htm

Find out about our connection with Dr Page and an introduction to his diary here