This book is the first of three books written by Cormack family members documenting their experiences growing up in Coldingham Shore (St. Abbs). These three books are 5x7, full-color paperback, and range for about 50 - 100 pages in length. All three of these stories can also be purchased together in a 184-page, 6x9 full-color paperback book titled, "The Cormacks of Coldingham Shore".

Born in 1882, Thomas Cormack grew up in the small fishing village of Coldingham Shore on the Scottish Borders. Thomas’s letter was written to the People’s Journal in response to a letter to the Journal by Reverend A. Inglis, claiming a lack of sinners in St. Abbs. This particular letter written by Thomas (my grandfather’s older brother), is seen through the ’eyes’ of a happy-go-lucky barefoot boy, as he reminisces and rebuts Rev. Ingles' claim concerning the lack of sinners in St. Abbs.

In 1909, Thomas and his brother Robert left for Canada in order to arrange and prepare for the arrival of the rest of the Cormack family. On August 17, 1910, the remaining family members boarded the HMS Pretorian out of Glasgow for passage to Canada and their final destination of New Westminster, British Columbia. This included my grandfather (Peter Cormack), his mother Annie Rae, sisters Elizabeth and Mary, and brothers William and Rae. Thomas eventually settled in Stockton, California, where he passed away in 1950 at the age of 68. Both Thomas and his brother Peter (my grandfather) were avid writers and story tellers. I was very fortunate that my parents also believed in preserving and passing down family history. I will endeavor to do the same.

This letter and several of the family photos contained in the pages that follow, were found in documents that my mom inherited from my grandfather, and then to me when my mom passed away in 2005. (Duncan Berwick Wilson)