05-04 John Miller Clark Bulloch

He was the oldest of seven children and the son of John Anderson Bulloch and Barbara Clark. He married Berthia Devon when he was in his mid-forties and his wife just 22. They had seven children, and the oldest was our father, John Alexander Bulloch.
In the attached photo, great-grandfather Bulloch can be seen with his wife on his right with her sister Elizabeth Hogg. He is 6' 2" in height and of slight build. His youngest son Walter had the same build, then his grandson James, who was our father's brother and next in age, also inherited this build. Later, holy moly, comes his great-grandson, John (that's me), with the same build.
No one knew much about great-uncle Walter, who was sent to the Americas in disgrace for having what they called a ‘dalliance’ with one of the maids. Walter died in California after WWI of the Spanish Flu.
Grandfather Bulloch’s meanness seemed to have come from his mother who was as tight as the bark on a tree. Father said she had a massive chain of keys that she kept attached to a belt around her waist. And she had locks on all the cupboards and would not let the maids open them without the use of her keys.
Our grandfather inherited a lot of money on his 21st birthday, as did all his brothers and sisters, but lost it all buying shares on margin. So, for most of his life, the family lived close to the line. Grandfather earned his income, managing his father's properties in Belfast.
Great grandfather Bulloch and his family had all made their fortune in the linen business in Belfast. It was an industry that exploded when the supply of US cotton was cut off during the American civil war. They created Bulloch Bros., a linen distribution company that distributed linen products, like sheets and pillowcases, to the British market. The brothers made millions in the linen business and after selling their business, invested in real estate in Belfast. In the early 1900s, the Bulloch brothers were the largest property owners in Belfast.
In 1947 when father took the family to Belfast, I remember sleeping between linen sheets. It was like sleeping between sheets of sandpaper. It was during that famous trip that mother became impregnated with brother Peter.
Later, during the summer of 1954, I took Ian to Belfast to attend school at the Royal Belfast Academic Institution, where father went to school. Grandfather was in his 80s. We had lots of fun with dad’s cousin Alex McGregor, who can be seen with grandfather Bulloch in the photo.
I remember helping grandfather to his feet after breakfast at a restaurant in Port Stuart, when he spotted a large pitcher of cream in front of him. He shook off my arms and reached down and grabbed the cream and drank it all down. It was about a half pint of 18%.
Although grandfather Bulloch was not really loved by any of his children, he was very affectionate with me as his first grandchild. I remember taking him for a walk down the Lisburn Road and having to cope with him stopping every single person he passed. “I want you to meet my grandson. He is going to university in Canada." There were lots of polite smiles.