John Paul (1905–?)
John “Jackie” Paul was born on 13 February 1905, in Cowdenbeath, Fife, to his father of the same name, and his mother, Janet Keir. He was their only son, and was the second-youngest out of a family of six.
It would appear that John was brought up in one of Cowdenbeath’s most prominent families: his grandfather (who also shared his name) was the owner of ‘John Paul & Sons’, which was a well-known plastering company; and was also one of Cowdenbeath’s ‘founding fathers’, so to speak. It is no wonder, then, that John found himself growing up in leafy Alexander Street, at the north end of the town.
During his formative years, John attended Foulford Public School. Although it is not known exactly when he was admitted to Foulford, he is recorded as being “discharged” on the 3rd January 1917 (at age twelve), to attend the local Beath Higher Grade School.
While at secondary school, John suffered a serious injury. On Friday 28th October 1921, during his cycle home from classes, John crashed into a local shop front after losing control of his bike on a “steep incline”. However, his injuries clearly did not hinder his eagerness to apply to the University of St Andrews to study chemistry.
Only a few months later, John’s name is recorded on the matriculation roll. Furthermore, some time after that, he must have applied for an ‘Entrance Bursary’: a competitive stipend that had students sit examinations in specific subjects, as well as write an additional English essay, in order to achieve one.
John sat his examinations for the bursary in English, French, Physics and Chemistry. He was awarded a payment, and placed thirty-fourth in the overall order of merit.
Following three years of university education, in June 1925, John received an ordinary degree in chemistry. A year later, he received a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), with second class honours, in the same discipline.
After graduation, John worked at St Columba’s in Cowdenbeath, before moving to Berwick-upon-Tweed.
This entry was researched and written by Jamie Watt in 2026.