We had a lovely hand posted letter (those were the days), summarised below, from Julie McFarlane who lives near Penrith – can anyone help?

‘I am enquiring after an elderly but now deceased resident of Glencaple and it has been suggested that the Caerlaverock Community Association may well be able to assist me in my search for information.

My husband’s late mother Hilda was related to the late Lena Burton who lived at “Criffel” in Glencaple and John’s mother visited Lena over many years, though we are unsure of their exact relationship. Hilda usually described Lena as her ‘cousin’.

It is my belief Lena was a Hogg in her earlier life as indeed John’s mother had been too; however I have been unable to make the connection between them through my own searches, largely with Scotlands People, and thus my plea to yourselves for any assistance you may be able to give.

I was pretty sure that Lena left a bequest to the Nith Inshore Rescue when she died as I did manage to find mention on line of this many years ago, and it has been confirmed that Lena had made a bequest and that for a time there was a lifeboat named for her.

I have not been able to find out when Lena died and suspect Lena was perhaps a shortened first name or perhaps a middle name – which ever, no luck in finding Lena’s death, but I think this was before John’s mother, Hilda died in 2009 as her visits to Glencaple had ceased by that time.

Thus I am wondering if any one local knew Lena in her lifetime?

Do you know in which year she died or where she died?

Do you know what Lena’s husband’s first name was as he was obviously dead when John’s mother visited Lena as he was never mentioned to us.

(The Hoggs did not believe in small families and boy there have been many Hoggs in the Borders over the last 150 years! John’s mother’s own line hailed from Kelso but recent searches have revealed direct branches in the Peebles, Melrose and Lauder areas, mostly linked with agriculture but a few became Edinburgh residents.)

Thank you for taking the time to read this. John and I would be grateful for any information you may be able to provide to help us.”

If you do have any information, please feel free to either comment below, or on our Facebook page – or you can email us at caerlaverockcommunity@gmail.com and we can either put you in touch with Julie, or pass the information on.
Thank you!