John Gloag

He was born Oct. 24, 1853, in the parish of Riccarton, Ayrshire. His father removed from there to Ashby-de-la-Zouch, in Leicestershire, and Gloag was educated at the Ashby Grammar School. Later, the family removed to Galston, where he was apprenticed to a joiner, and he is now employed as estate joiner on the Loudoun estate. All his spare time is devoted to his beloved hobby — violin-making — and he turns out splendid work, both as regards finish and tone. He follows the Stradivari model as shown and described in " Violin-making, as it Was and Is," and he has latterly made several instruments on an original model. He uses Whitelaw's varnish; colour, dark-amber yellow. He obtained the first prize for a case of violins at an industrial exhibition held at Darvel. Price of violins, £5.