Denholm Village

Dr John Haddon was educated at the University of Edinburgh, and graduated in arts as well as medicine. The doctor was awarded the Thesis Gold Medal in 1869. As a young man he set up in practise in a residential suburb of Manchester, where his business prospered. During this time (around 1880) he published a paper on Public Health for the Manchester and Salford Sanitary Association. The paper intended to educate the masses with regard to sanitary laws and the avoidance of diseases. At the age of 37 after a bout of illness John embarked on a round the world trip that would see him travel across the Atlantic through America and Canada and across the Pacific.

This journey was serialised in the local newspaper, the Hawick Express. In 1911 the doctor, now resident in Denholm, again published, this time with a book on Dietetics.

In this book the doctor put forward ideas connected to the study of diet and its effects on a range of illnesses. His conclusions at this time seemed odd to the residents of Denholm because at this time a common view was that a fat person was a healthy person while a thin, and lean, person was supposed to be ailing in some way.

His book concluded 'eating either too much or too often accounted for so much of the disease and general ill health which prevailed.. I tried to persuade people to restrict their diet'.

Dr Haddon contributed to the Hawick Archaeological Society in 1897 with a paper entitled 'the development of the spirit idea', from the first crude notions of primitive man up to the most advanced views of modern philosophers.

THE TEXT HOUSE

The Text House was designed and commissioned by Dr John Haddon. The house, in its present form, was constructed around 1910 in the arts and craft style. The local authority has designated the property as a B listed building.

The previous building was a single storey structure similar to others in the main street today. As was the practise at the time the Doctor consulted from home and took in patients in need of care. The passageway to the east side was, in the early 1900's, an access to a stable block to the rear of what is now Murray's house, next door.

The design feature most recognisable on the house is the text attached to the front elevation. Many visitors to the village stop and wonder as to the meaning of the text. The first reminds the reader to take care with time or it will pass by quickly and the second reminds the occupier that people lived in the house before them and will continue after they leave.

Similar text is to be found on Hawick High Street and these sayings have been adopted by the new Scottish parliament during the construction phase.

Some elderly residents can remember the construction of the 'lime' house together with some additional text from the Bible, which is now lost.

TAK TENT IN TIME ~ ERE TIME BE TINT

ALL WAS OTHERS ~ ALL WILL BE OTHERS