According to the account I received, the Veitch of that day, ‘The Devil of Dawyck’ was said to be a crony–no doubt, for nefarious purposes!–of the ‘Hoolet of Barns.’ I was even given the title of a book, John Burnet of Barns, which is said to mention real members of these famlies, including the Veitches–though I have not so far come across a copy.

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I have traced my Veitch ancestors back to Kirknewton, Northumberland, around the beginning of the 19th century. This is only a mile or two from the border, and not far from from Peebles. However, another line of enquiry suggests that they may have come from Dumfries and Galloway. I wonder if any of your readers have any knowledge of a link between the Northumberland Veitches and the Peebles area? If so, I would be most interested to know of it.

Lilian Pickering
Richmond, British Columbia

Editor’s note: Although we can’t help with your search for the Veitches, we can tell you that John Burnet of Barns, by John Buchan, was published by Pelican in 1982. Although it is now out of print, copies can be located through out-of-print specialists such as McTeer Books, tel: 800-373-4943.

A TRULY BRITISH TRADITION

I read the letter about fried bread (August/September, page 6) with interest. This is truly a British tradition. A native of South Wales, I am in charge of preparing the fried bread for breakfast. All you have to do is take a slice of bread and fry it in bacon fat until both sides have a nice golden brown appearance. Then, fry your eggs and put it on the slice, or if you cook tomatoes put them on it. Mushrooms are also tasty cooked in the bacon fat. My husband and I enjoy this meal at least twice a week. I hope you will enjoy it, too.

Beryl Witt
Pleasant City, Ohio

OMISSION

In ‘Toiletry Boxes’ (August/September, page 60), we neglected to give proper credit to Sallea Antiques, which supplied the photographs that illustrated the article. Sallea Antiques sells many high-quality toiletry boxes, writing boxes, and other English antiques. Readers may contact the shop by writing to: Sallea Antiques, 66 Elm St., New Canaan, CT 06840. Tel: 203-972-1050.The British telephone numbers provided in British Heritage include an initial zero, which callers from North America do not need to dial when placing a call to Britain. North American callers should dial 011-44 in place of the initial zero. When travelling in Britain, dial the telephone numbers exactly as printed. Please note that all prices quoted in editorial material are correct to the best of our knowledge. We suggest readers call ahead before visiting stately homes, etc., to ensure they have up-to-date details.

The Editors of BRITISH HERITAGE enjoy hearing from readers and would like to answer all correspondence. Unfortunately, time does not permit this but whenever possible and appropriate, we will include readers’ letters with occasional editorial comment in these columns. We do request that writers include their names and addresses, and we reserve the privilege of editing letters to be published for reasons of space and clarity. Letters should be addressed to: The Editors, BRITISH HERITAGE, P.O. Box 8200, Harrisburg, PA 17105.

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