Glasgow Home of my Ancestors

My grandfather, Hugh Miller, came from the slums of Glasgow. He made a fortune by giving the world the multi coloured golf umbrella. He bought Mackintosh furniture in 1900 which I still possess but he left for London, admittedly he was  shafted by his family. He was not left the family firm which was gifted by his uncle to his two sisters after Hugh had made the fortune as according to his uncle Hugh was a young man and well able to look after himself. Hugh sent his son, Hughie, my father to Glasgow Academy, which my father hated and never returned.

He retained his Glaswegian accent and so did my father but they never returned and I have never been either. For them Glasgow was a grim reminder of a life they disliked rather like my aversion to the semi detached in Canons Park where I lived for 18 years after the war.

I have never set foot in Glasgow so from the safety of New Zealand where I choose to live as it is so beautiful and the weather is acceptable it was fascinating to watch Glasgow's Commonwealth Games which I think may give a rather true picture of a rather dour place. I think is is a near as I shall ever get to the home of my ancestors.

Hugh Miller and the Multi Colored Golf Umbrella

Hugh Miller (1881-1964) was my paternal grandfather and I can hardly believe it Alice's great great grandfather. He was born in Rutherglen in Glasgow in the 1870's and was the son of a stone mason, James Miller (1855-1896). When work got short in Glasgow his father, Alice's great, great, great grandfather moved the whole of his family to Pittsburgh, USA and his youngest sister Grace  (1884-1980) was born a USA citizen.

Grandpa Miller had one claim to fame  as it was he who invented the multi colored golf umbrella. He had the idea around 1900 of a large colored umbrella in alternate colors to keep the constant British rain off the keen golfers. Grandpa was astute businessman and applied for a patent.

The success of this umbrella is still with us today and while the patent was pending Grandpa made a fortune. The first of three. Obviously this could not last as barbers shops had red and white colored umbrella shop signs!

His first golf umbrella was black and yellow and a pagoda shape. I still have one of the originals. Soon other colors and the shape we know today followed. Grandpa promoted the game of golf. His company The Glasgow Golf Company made golf clubs, golf balls, golf bags in fact anything to do with golf for about 50 years.

He never played the game or allowed anyone in his family and especially his son to do so as he felt it might interfere with his business. I was brought up on golf courses. I know every course in Southern England. I never got to play but I did talk to the green keepers about how they kept their beautiful lawns.

The whole of our family fortune, it is small today but the legacy lingers on, was made by Hugh Miller, three times. He lost out twice and had to start from scratch. He was a true entrepreneur.

I didn't ever get to know him but I liked him and I admire him. He was quite a character.