Tales Of Kirrie Toon
Star Rock Shop
Star Rock Shop
THE STAR ROCK SHOP 7 ROODS
THE STAR ROCK SHOP 7 ROODS
Reid [p201] tells us this.
"Nor should we forget to mention the local confection, Star Rock, or 'Starrie', a packet of which is the favourite present between friends at home or far away. This sweetmeat is now made by several vendors, but like the Forfar Rock of Peter Reid, is has an authoritative source and emporium. The genuine article is now made and sold by Miss Morrison, in the Roods. Her mother, Mrs William Morrison, and her aunt, Miss Margret Morrison, inherited the recipe and the business of the original maker, David Ferguson, who commenced the manufacture and sale of Star Rock as early as 1833. Originally, and as occasionally happens still, the rolling of the rock caused its sections to assume a star-like appearance, thus giving meaning to its name, and making its production all the more wonderful that it was mixed, boiled, rolled, and cut by a blind man. Sometimes the sale of 'Starry' is phenomenal, even though pitted against the varied sweetmeats of the times. During the Dundee holiday season, for instance, so great is the run upon it that the town will be swept clean of rock, Miss Morrison boiling close to two hundred pounds of sugar daily to meet the demand.'
PROPRIETORS
All of the following has been corroborated from official records unless stated otherwise. Note that the information for Valuation Rolls was collected between autumn and the following summer then printed in that autumn so for eg VR of 1914/5 the information collected could be any time between autumn 1914 and summer 1915 and compiled in to the roll by 15 August 1915.
1833-1881 (died 1881) , David Ferguson
1881-1886 (died 1886) , Margaret Whyte nee Ferguson , She will probably have been involved prior to 1881
1886-1907 (died 1907) , Jean Morrison nee Ferguson , She may have been involved after her father died in 1881
1907-1945 (died 1945) , Jessie Ramsay nee Morrison , She was involved prior to 1907 as shown on census 1901
She was probably not involved right up to 1945
1945-1957 , Frederick Brown son of Agnes Brown nee Morrison , Probably involved about 1942
The shop was for sale in 1950
Brown was not ‘of Kirrie’ so did he run the shop or own it and have a manager
1957-1961 , James Reid (his nephew still lives in Kirriemuir) , Who was Mrs F Chapman who won a raffle prize in 1959 with address Star Rock Shop? Probably bought the ticket at the shop
1961-1981 , Frank & Maureen Shaw , Shop for sale 1980
1981 , Miss Catherine M Lauder , Newspaper
1982-1987 , Gap in Valuation Records
1988-1991 , Mrs Milne & Mrs M J Rae
1991-1995 , L & Mrs Bertram
1995-2000 , Gap in Valuation Records
2000-2001 , Geraldine McAuley
2001 , End of Valuation Records
2008 , Ruth Mitchell , Shop for sale from Dave Orr
Wendy Patterson , Oral record
2018 , Liz Crossley-Davies , Current Owner
The Star Rock shop had competitors serving Kirrie's sweet teeth.
Alice S has contributed the following information.
In 1878 Alexander Martin Confectioner was somewhere nearby, at 13/15/17/ 19 or 21 Roods, while the Star Rock was at 23 / 25/ 27 or 29.
I would like to suggest the ‘other confectioner’ at No 7 Roods who had the recipe for Cream Rock and this recipe was sold or given to the Star Rock Shop when No 7 went out of business in 1960. I got on to this as Liz Crossley-Davies of the Star Rock Shop wanted to know when the Cream Rock recipe was transferred to the Star. She still makes cream rock.
No 7 may have been a confectioner from any time after 1860/70 when it sold newspapers etc though I think that confectionary as such is not mentioned until 1920s with Alice Bruce then when W. Mills took over, Cream Rock as a registered recipe is seen. I can find no connection from this W. Mills to William Mills bookseller, liquor merchant etc etc. who is much seen in Kirrie for a very long time. Friends in the town remember Mrs Mills who was last in the shop at No 7. They also remember the Caledonian BBQ Company who took over the premises and sold roast chicken off the spit supposedly a grand smell on a cold night. From Alice S.
Liz Crossley-Davies
In the centre o the toon
There lies a wee sweetie shop
And children come racin roon
Their pockets full o pennies
For chocolate, sugar and rock
**
In the Square o Kirriemuir
There’s a small sweetie shop
The shop calls in with great lure
And sells candy and pop
It sells a variety of sweet and sour
As the pop fizzes away
Children could be choosing for hours
**
In the Angus toon o Kirrie
There’s a wee tasty sweetie shop
That sells really nice chocolate
The old famous Starry Rock Shop
Northmuir Primary Rhymes
**
There’s a shop called Starry Rock
Doon at the tiny wee Roods
Buy some rock there you can sook
Doon Caddam Woods
Try a bon bon, or some tablet
Blow some bubble gum
Have a sip of Vimto
To stop you feeling glum
Southmuir Primary Rhymes
To read several newspaper articles about the Star Rock shop over the ages, also gathered in by Alice, see this PDF file.