McManus 168

Peter Brown Rattray was born to John Rattray and Margaret Robertson in 1811.^[1] His own marriage took place in 1834 when he married Agnes Morgan.^[2]

The couple went on to have a number of children although only 2, Thomas and Margaret, survived into adulthood. His son, Thomas, also listed as a slater in the 1861 census, who then lived at 1 London Lane, Dundee,^[15] met his death 2 years later, at Old Calabar, West Africa.^[16][4] No evidence has been found as to the purpose of Thomas’ life in Old Calabar. Curiously, a Dr Peter Rattray, a medical missionary in Old Calabar and son of John Rattray, a house factor in Barrack Street, Dundee, was a missionary, from 1897,^[17] under the United Presbyterian church, the same church to which Peter Rattray, slater, was associated. Although a likely relationship between the two can be surmised, it remains unclear.

During the 1840s, Peter Rattray was a partner in the firm of ‘Fyffe & Rattray,’ slaters. After the dissolution of their partnership,^[14] both men set up their own firms,^[14] with Fyffe also acting as Superintendent of the Fire Brigade.^[18] It was in his role as Superintendent that Fyffe met his death, in 1870, at a great fire which occurred in Mary Ann Lane, off East Dock Street.^[19] The fire, which he was attending, caused a wall in the lane to fall outwards, burying Fyffe and others with its rubble.^[19] A monument to his memory was erected in the Western Cemetery.^[19]

It would seem that monetary success and an inclination towards a speculative venture, encouraged Peter Rattray to consider the construction of property in Ward Road. In 1864, the local press gave a report as to that which might be seen by a visitor to Ward Road and described thus:

‘….….telling him to fix his attention on a large excavation in the ground, we would inform him (the visitor) that in a few months, there would arise from that cavity, a permanent monument of our present success in the shape of a substantial and elegant block of buildings, the property of Mr Peter Rattray, slater.

We believe that the building, which Mr Rattray is about to erect, will be devoted to offices and dwelling houses. We suspected that the removal of the Sheriff Court to its present site (further to the west, within the same street) would have a tendency to draw the lawyers westward, and, in providing commodious offices, we presume Mr Rattray is of the same opinion. We have not yet been favoured with a sight of the plans but we are informed that the building will be 3 clear storeys high and be surmounted by a mansard roof.’^[20]

The building currently standing in Ward Road, between Nicoll Street and Rattray Street, fits the description perfectly. Although no claims for the name of ‘Rattray Street’ have been attributed to Peter Rattray, the suspicion suggests it to be so.

Peter Rattray became a well known figure within business and public affairs of Dundee. Having operated a successful slater’s business for a number of years, he removed himself to the outskirts of Dundee, to reside at the small estate of Montpelier, where he died in 1874.