Allan Old

Allan was a baker, the only one in the family as far as I can see.

He was born in Lasswade parish but I think it can be assumed that it was in Roslin village, or Roslyne as the record says, and he was there at age 8.  By age 18 he was a baker's assistant and presumably staying at his employer's home which looks like it was in Elm Row in Lasswade.  This record was difficult to find as he was listed as Archibald, not Allan, but it's definitely him.  Did they not know his name or was there a transcription error somewhere?  We'll never know.

His marriage is recorded at Westmill in Cockpen parish.  Westmill is the part of Lasswade south of the River Esk.  Westmill Road is seen here in a modern map and here in an old map.  He stayed in that area until about 1865 (deduced from from children's birthplaces) when the family moved back to Roslin, probably attracted by work in the new carpet factory and to be back with the rest of the family.  The census says they were on the south side of the village which could mean the new buildings down in the glen although this is unclear.  Certainly they were there from 1871 until his death in 1887.  It's unknown whether he had his own baker's shop as the first Post Office Directory for the area started just after this time but there doesn't seem to an entry for a shop under his name in the 1885 Valuation Roll.