Robert Nivison

I thought you might all might enjoy this biography of Robert Nivison, 1853-1902, written by his grandson, David Shephard Nivison, in April 1975. Our family has a long history in the paper business, a topic I will try to take up in a separate post. Robert was no exception, becoming chief papermaker of the Guard Bridge Paper Company in Scotland at only 28.

Robert married Margaret (Maggie) Boe in 1879, but unfortunately she passed away during child birth of their 8th child. Robert remarried the following year, to a Rachel Thompson of St. Andrews but she passed away in 1898. Not a man to sit still, he married his third wife, Jessie Fraser of Dundee, in 1899, and she finally outlived him.

My mother and I were able to visit Scotland 3 years ago and managed to track down their gravestone. The church where it was located was being renovated, and many of the gravestones had toppled from the vibrations, which is why you see it lying on the ground in the above picture. When the foreman came to kick me out (I had to jump a fence to get to it), he assured me they would stand it back up when they were finished.

Robert-Nivison