McManus 168

Walter Shepherd grew up in Wakefield and worked as a Matting Manufacturer.^[18] He married Mary Mitchell, whose father was a merchant in Bradford.^[2] The Shepherds had a baby daughter, Hildegarde, when they arrived in Dundee in 1862. They would go on to have 13 children in total. They started life in Airlie Place, Dundee, before moving to Union Mount, 5 Perth Road, Dundee in 1865. Walter Shepherd purchased Union Mount, an imposing residence for the sum of £8,000.^[21]

Walter Shepherd’s arrival in Dundee in 1862 coincided with soaring demand for jute products. The business at Seafield Works had expanded just a year earlier in 1861, with the building of an additional mill described thus:.

‘Seafield Works, belonging to Thomson, Shepherd & Briggs have risen with surprising rapidity, having been begun little more than ten years ago, and now they contain seven steam-engines of 165 horse power, 6,000 spindles and 120 power looms. The works also contain upwards of 450 hand-looms, the total number of people employed being 2,000. The older portions of these works, (1851-61^[22]) have been quite eclipsed by the new mill and power-loom shed, which have been built to the south of them. This mill is a splendid building, about 300 feet in length, and four storeys and attics in height, and the factory, which communicates with the mill, is of the same length and nearly square. The machinery is only in course of being put into the new erections, but when completed the productive powers of the works will be doubled. The firm spin Jute chiefly, and manufacture carpeting, cocoa-nut-matting, sacking, bagging, etc., which are calendered and made up on the premises.’^[19]

The firm of ‘Thomson, Shepherd & Briggs‘ was dissolved in 1872.^[23] Thereafter, the business was styled as ‘Thomson, Shepherd & Co.’^[24]

Family life brought sadness at times for the Shepherds. The memorial gravestone attached to the wall of the Western Cemetery lists the deaths of Agatha Helen in September 1864, at the age of 8 months. Another daughter, Edith Theodora, died March 1880, aged 1 year. Mary was Walter Shepherd’s first wife and she died in 1889 at the age of 47 years. Their son Philip, who was a leading, local cricket player, died of sunstroke after playing in an important match in 1896, at the age of 28 years.^[25]

A picture of the Shepherd family life was captured in the 1881 census. Walter’s wife Mary was at home in Union Mount, along with 9 children, ranging in age from 18 years to 1 month. There were 3 servants, Table Maid, House Maid and Cook. Three Nurses were also listed, Nurse, Sick Nurse and Nurse Maid. Meanwhile, Walter was visiting his brother-in-law, Henry C Briggs and family, a Colliery Owner, in Leeds.^[20]

Walter Shepherd married Emma Von Krogh in Trondhjem, Norway on 11 January 1893.^[3] He was 57 years old and she was 29 years of age.^[3] They had one daughter, Karen Margaret, born in Dundee in March 1894.^[26] The family may have travelled to Norway regularly – they were on holiday there when Philip died of sunstroke. An article in the Scotsman, Friday 10th June 1904, reports that the Shepherds were in Hogret, near Trondhjem, Norway where Mr Shepherd was fishing. Mrs Shepherd was walking by the river bank when she fell into the water and drowned.

The partnership of  John Thomson and Walter Shepherd was formed into a limited company in 1896. Mr Shepherd was well liked by the workers and after 48 years connection with the business, the workers presented him with a gold watch and chain and pendant, on his retirement in 1910.^[27]

The name of Emma Johanne Shepherd appears on the family gravestone as having died in June 1904, aged 40 years. Beneath her name is that of Walter’s daughter, Ethel Shepherd, who died 27th July 1910, aged 29 years. She had gone swimming with her sister, while holidaying in Sandsend, Yorkshire and was caught out by the strong current and could not be saved.^[28]

Mr Shepherd purchased  Woodbrae, Dunkeld in 1904. It was reported that ‘Walter Shepherd bought this picturesque house on the hill above Dunkeld, having sold his residence in Juteopolis to the college authorities some six weeks ago.’^[8] Union Mount was sold to University College for the sum of £11,000.^[29]

While resident at Woodbrae, he continued to be involved in the Church. He was a member of the Vestry of St Mary’s and also acted as secretary.^[30]

Walter Shepherd was survived by two sons and six daughters, at the time of his death, on 21st March 1913.^[30]