But the world’s first shopfloor Santa Claus was also a Scot, an economic migrant who moved to America in search of work and ended up inspiring a tradition that has defined Christmas for millions of children.

Research by an amateur genealogist has revealed the story of James Edgar, an Edinburgh-born entrepreneur who owned a department store in Brockton, Massachusetts.

His story was rediscovered by distant relative Hugh Smith, 69, from Thornliebank, Glasgow, when he began looking through family archives and found research from his uncle, James Edgar Grant Lockhart, a keen family historian.

Mr Smith said: “My late uncle was a great one for the family tree. I was clearing out a cupboard when I found his research, which told the tale of James Edgar, my grandmother’s cousin. It’s great to think that the first Santa in the biggest nation in the world was Scottish.”

As well the family tree, Mr Smith found an article from a defunct magazine called

Modern Maturity, which featured an interview with James Edgar, a “roly-poly” man who left his home in Berwickshire to search for a better life in America.

He founded Edgar’s Department Store in 1878 and would stand on its the roof every Saturday morning to scatter pennies for local children. He would even offer impoverished youngsters jobs at his department store, even if he had no need for new employees.

But what he loved most of all was dressing up to entertain children.

“My life in Scotland was a poor one,” Mr Edgar once said. “When I came to this country I had to scratch to get by. I never really had a childhood because I was out working. I think that’s why I enjoy children so much. I was trying to make up for the childhood I never had.”

One Christmas he hit upon the idea of dressing up as a clown to walk around his store and choose a girl with the prettiest bow in her hair to win a doll.

He then decided to dress as Father Christmas, adopting the familiar white beard and a red Santa suit that he based on famous 1863 illustrations by Thomas Nast, a celebrated cartoonist who invented the modern image of Father Christmas.

Edward Pearson, who remembered meeting Edgar as Santa, was interviewed in the Modern Maturity article. He said: “Nowadays Santa Claus is everywhere, but back in 1890 we had only seen him in newspapers or magazines. We never thought we would have a chance to meet him unless we sat up all night on Christmas Eve.”

After his first appearance, word soon spread that Santa was appearing in person and families flocked to see him. Demand grew to such an extent that another Father Christmas had to be hired as children began coming from as far away as New York to meet the hirsute Christmas hero. The following year, hundreds of stores across America copied his example and installed their own Santa.

Although the fact Edgar invented a fundamental Christmas tradition is often forgotten, he managed to achieve one wish.

“I have never understood why Santa lived at the North Pole,” Edgar added. “He is so far away and only able to visit children once a year. He should live closer to them.”

Now, when every child who chooses to can meet Father Christmas, the Scottish Santa’s ambition has been realised.

 

 

Hollywood believes in Santa Claus

Miracle on 34th Street, 1947/1994

Edmund Gwenn/Richard Attenborough

This film tells the story of a man called Kris who is hired to replace a drunken Father Christmas at a store in New York. As characters in the film gradually begin to question whether he is actually Santa Claus, a district attorney tries to get Kris committed to a lunatic asylum but fails.

Gwenn won an Oscar for his performance, shouting “now I know there is a Santa Claus” in his acceptance speech.

In the 1994 remake, Kris is played by Richard Attenborough, who proves his festive provenance by communicating with a deaf girl in sign language.

 

Santa Claus: The Movie, 1 985

David Huddleston

This is one of a number of films that attempt to explain how Father Christmas came about. The film stars Dudley Moore as an errant elf who tries to take on Santa’s role after he quits his post, tired of delivering presents to an ever-increasing population.

 

 

Bad Santa, 2003

Billy Bob Thornton

As a Coen Brothers-produced take on the Santa legend, Bad Santa is much darker than usual Christmas fare. It tells the story of a hard-drinking shopping mall Santa who robs his employer and then sets off on an X-rated adventure. It was released on Disney subsidiary Miramax and met with some controversy among critics, who criticised it as the “evil twin” of Miracle on 34th Street.

 

The Coca Cola Santa, started in 1931

Created by artist Haddon Sundblom

An apocryphal legend suggests that before Coca Cola, Santa was dressed in green and then took on the corporation’s colours. In fact, Santa was red since he was depicted by Thomas Nast, a Civil War cartoonist.

The Coca Cola Santa become an integral part of their Christmas advertising andappeared in many settings, including a rocket, but always stuck to the red clothed, chubby and bearded image.