David Hogg 1824

David Hogg seems to have done quite well for himself and his family.  He was born on the Moray Firth at Gardenstown, then known as Gamrie, and I believe this was to do with his father, also David, being involved in the whisky industry as a grain dealer.  I don't know how long they had been up there but the parents had married in Leith in 1812 and were back there by 1841 and by this time David was training to be a saddler.  He progressed through this trade to become a master saddler with his own business in North Leith, leaving a sizable estate when he died, which I presume contributed to one of his sons continuing the business.

He married local lass Mary McGregor, a sailor's daughter, when he was only 20, quite young even in those days.  In all censuses he is a saddlemaker except for 1851 when he is a harness maker but it's all in the same trade and his own business is first mentioned in the Post Office Directory from 1871 to 1873 in 34 Sandport Street then until 1882 in 20 Dock Street even though he died in 1877, his son taking over the business and eventually changing the name whilst keeping the same premises.  We must remember that in those days there was no motor transport and horses were everywhere, either as personal transport or for haulage and so there would have been ready trade round the docks.  The streets named above still remain but have been totally redeveloped although one intriguing reminder of Oliver Cromwell's citadel remains, an archway of the former entrance on Dock Street.

Here it is shown as it was in his time and pretty close to the view out of his shop window, given the street numbering.  I saw some old photos of the demolition of the old buildings of Dock Street and worked out where his shop would have been even although there was no photo of the shop itself.

As it is now.