Hello everyone, My honorary Bute ancestor is Robert McFie, first editor of The Buteman (1854). I have McFie ancestors on Bute but I have no reason to believe I'm related to Robert. He strikes me as a spirited character and if anyone is related to him or knows anything more about him I'd be glad to hear from you Starting a newspaper was obviously a bold move and it can’t have been easy. An article during Robert's editorship declares "We have often thought that every fault-finding subscriber to the Buteman should be editor for a month…" (May 31, 1856). Robert's Buteman wasn't afraid to speak out on behalf of the working class. In February 1856, for example, there is an editorial attacking the Rev Mr Elder who had denounced the evils of Saturday night entertainments, or concerts, for working people. The newspaper suggests that if the middle class could listen to chamber music in their drawing rooms on a Saturday night, the working man was entitled to his entertainment too. Robert had been a workman in Salmond's Cotton Mill and a member of a flourishing Young Man's Debating Society. Some of the members decided that it would be a good idea to publish a newspaper. Robert went to Glasgow for some training and on his return began printing the Buteman, according to The Transactions of the Buteshire Natural History Society (vol 14, Notes on Rothesay Newspapers). The plant consisted of a hand press and publication was fortnightly. It must have been important to make money and it was a printing business as well as a newspaper. In official documents Robert is described as a printer and the Buteman contained advertisements from him for jobbing printing "done on the lightest notice". Robert died young and his obituary appeared in the Buteman of December 28, 1861 (much more space is given over to the report of the funeral of Prince Albert). "Death, ever busy, has taken from among us Mr Robert McFie, the Proprietor and Editor of this Journal from its commencement seven years ago. On Sabbath last, while in his own room, about one o'clock pm he was seized with illness which proved fatal, notwithstanding every effort of medical aid. He was in his 34th year and leaves a widow and young family. The Buteman will be continued in the meantime for their benefit under the practical management of Mr William Wilson, who has been foreman in the office for several years. It is hoped that it will meet with the generous support of the public and that subscribers and contributors will lend their aid in an increased degree." Robert would no doubt have approved of the opportunity being taken in his obit to promote the newspaper! His death certificate gives his age as 34, occupation printer. His parents are given as John McFie, mariner (deceased) and Mary McFie (maiden surname also McFie). His wife was Margaret (maiden surname McNAIR) and his father-in-law, who reported the death, Archibald McNair. No cause of death is given. There is a note that the death is entered in the Book of Corrected Entries for 1862 but I haven’t yet been able to check that, Regards Madeleine Wales