- Herald Scotland
21 Nov 2000
Efric Wotherspoon, Scotland's oldest practising bookseller; born June 16, 1913, died October 29, 2000
EFRIC Wotherspoon was born in Campbeltown, the eldest of three children. Her mother, Mrs Katherine Johnston, was already running K & J Martin Booksellers at 14 Main Street. Efric was educated at Campbeltown Grammar School where she first met her future husband, Iain Wotherspoon, from the Isle of Gigha. After completing her education, she became a student nurse at Yorkhill Sick Children's Hospital in Glasgow and subsequently nursed in Liverpool. She married Iain and set up home in Glasgow. The marriage produced three children - two daughters and a son. After the outbreak of the Second World War, despite being in a reserved occupation as an aeronautical inspector, Iain volunteered for active service in the RAF and was sent to Bomber Command. Their time together was cut short when Iain was posted missing from a bombing raid on the night of April 9-10, 1945, three weeks before the end of the war. It was not until 1947 that he was officially presumed dead. Efric was left to bring up three small children, two not yet at school. Her grit, determination, and individuality, which she showed throughout her life, were probably hewn during this period. Her sadness was not allowed to show and her children attest that their childhood was happy with lots of fun and laughter in the house. The flat in Glasgow was a mecca for children in the neighbourhood to gather and listen to stories of adventure and daring with Efric as the heroine. During this period, she sent parcels of clothing through the Quakers to help destitute German families and corresponded with them - a measure of her compassionate nature. Knowing that she would be taking over K Martin's eventually, she expanded her knowledge of book retailing by gaining experience in Allan's bookshop in Sauchiehall Street and latterly in Jackson's bookshop in Royal Exchange Square. Spring and summer during the long school breaks were spent assisting her mother in the bookshop in Campbeltown. In 1951 she returned permanently to Campbeltown to run K Martin's and look after her ageing mother. Efric immersed herself in Campbeltown life and became secretary and, subsequently, president of the Lorne Street Church Woman's Guild. She joined the Kintyre Antiquarian Society and became secretary and president, and was honoured by the appointment as FSA Scot. In later life she travelled widely and added to her repertoire of talks and slide shows. Martin's bookshop continued to flourish under her management. She had a great feel for the interesting and the extraordinary. She remained at the helm, attending to business on a daily basis into her eighties. Efric was on the council of the Booksellers' Association and maintained her love of and enthusiasm for books throughout her life. She read widely and was always, at home, surrounded by a sea of books and newspapers. Such was her knowledge of Campbeltown, its people, and its environs that the shop was effectively an information exchange for those visitors, many from overseas, seeking their roots. Her correspondence extended beyond her family, worldwide and was much appreciated within the community by all. Efric is survived by her three children and five grand-daughters
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Our Family History
1913 - 2000 (87 years)
1912 - 1945 (33 years)
