John McNicoll does not have his own scrapbook album, probably because he alone of the three brothers survived the war. Howover, there are pages devoted to him in the albums of Graham and Malcolm, and the memoirs and pictures below are taken from those.
First, a memoir on the occasion of his retirement as teacher at Preston Grammar School in September 1932:
"M Jutzi's was not the only figure that appeared in the corridors of PGS about the year 1900. There was another. A certain Scotsman, who, as anyone frequenting the Hall during his famous 'Shakespeare lessons' is soon well aware, is still with us. Unhappily for ourselves, this term is to be Capt. McNicoll's last. As we wish him every joy in his well-earned retirement, we cannot help wondering vaguely what kind of place this school will be when he is gone. Somehow, it will all seem very strange, and new.
Not many more than a hundred boys were attending when Mr McNicoll arrived. As a large and specialised staff was still a far-off dream, he had to teach Maths, French, Drawing, and Scripture, besides his own particular subjects of English and Geography. He witnessed the coming of every member of the present staff, and taught many who have now been long teaching others in schools all over the country. With how great a satisfaction must he have watched so many of his pupils climbing the ladder of success, rung by rung, winning for themselves key positions in every department of life!
To have been at PGS from 1914-19 must be accounted a considerable misfortune. For upon the Declaration of War, Mr McNicoll went from amongst us to join the Seaforth Highlanders. The Editorial of 'The Hoghtonian,' of April 1915, contains a letter from him, then in a training camp. 'We are perched,' it runs, 'on the top of a hill open to every wind of heaven, though, as a matter of fact, only one wind has blown since our arrival, and that the delightful North-Easter ...' On February 10th, 1919, Captain McNicoll M.C. returned and stayed to teach a generation which knows not what its elders mean when they talk of the 'War'."
John is on the right.
To return to the McNicoll home page, http://www.offa.demon.co.uk/mcnicoll.htm