Robert Burns & Highland Mary Statue

There's quite a story behind a wonderful statue of Robert Burns and Highland Mary!  This drawing was taken from the original statue which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1880.  The sculptor was Hamilton P MacCarthy of London.

It beautifully shows Scottish poet Robert Burns with his love Highland Mary.  They had a brief affair in the spring of 1786.  She moved to Greenock and died here in October of that year.  There is a memorial to her in Greenock Cemetery.  Burns wrote several lovely poems and songs in her honour.

The statue had been commissioned by Walter Macfarlane (1817-1885) who owned the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow.  In 1933 the statue was sold and eventually ended up in the possession of James Anderson of Greenock.  In the 1940s he offered the statue to Greenock Burns Club, but unhappy with where the Club and Greenock Corporation wished to place the statue, the matter was dropped.

Nothing more seems to have been heard about the statue until 1952 when James Anderson's nephew, who had inherited much of his estate, offered the statue to Bathgate Town Council who readily accepted his offer and placed the statue in Kirkton Park there.  Unfortunately over the years, the statue suffered at the hands of vandals and was eventually placed in a storage shed in the park for safety.

Photo - West Lothian Council

In 2007 some enterprising individuals got together and raised funds to have the statue refurbished.  In 2011 the statue was taken from storage at Kirkton Park to the workshop of Graciela Ainsworth, a specialist in conservation and restoration of artefacts. There it was to cleaned and new parts provided to replace those lost through vandalism.

In 2012 the statue was unveiled at its new home in the garden of the Bathgate Partnership Centre, now known as the Jim Walker Partnership Centre, where it can still be seen.  West Lothian Council issued a leaflet all about the statue and its restoration which you can download here.

The original sculptor, Hamilton P MacCarthy moved to Canada in 1886 and produced wonderful works, many for public spaces.  One of those can be found in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, British Columbia - another Robert Burns and Highland Mary statue.  It is absolutely beautiful and cared for by the Friends of Beacon Hill Park.  Read more at their website here.

Photo - Friends of Beacon Hill Park

What a great story about twin statues divided by thousands of miles and both celebrating the love of Robert Burns for Highland Mary!  You can read and download a more detailed account of the Statue Saga by The Greenockian here.  You can also watch a short film all about Highland Mary and her links with Greenock by the Greenockian on YouTube.

Free West Church, Greenock

This beautiful church once stood at the corner of Ardgowan Street and Kelly Street in Greenock.  It was demolished in 1992.  These drawings show how the church looked – almost. The tower was never actually constructed.

Designed by John Honeyman (1831-1914), the foundation stone was laid on 12 June 1861.  The church was to be called the Free West Church and was being financed by the congregation whose old building was just across the street.  That building they sold and would become the home of the Methodist congregation. 

A large crowd attended the laying of the foundation stone which was also the date of the 10^th anniversary of their minister, Rev John Nelson (1820-1878) who had succeeded their former minister the Rev Dr Patrick Macfarlan.   (Read more about the Disruption in the Church of Scotland (and why certain churches were called "free") and its effect in Greenock here.)

The building was opened for worship on 13 November 1862 and was described as having - “besides the church, a large and lofty hall, a ladies’ waiting room, a vestry, and retiring rooms”.  Unusually it did not have obvious side aisles, but along both sides of the building were corridors along which were doors which admitted worshipers to the individual pews.  You can see a photographs of this strange set up, as well as some wonderful photographs of the church here.

The description goes on “The extreme length of the interior, inclusive of the apse, is 84 feet, and the width, exclusive of the side corridors in 42 feet.  The height from the floor to the wall head is 40 feet and to the ceiling 48 feet.  The building could seat 950 worshippers. Originally it was intended to build a spire at the south west corner of the church, but at the time of construction it reached just to the eaves, with the option of completing it at a later date. 

The stained glass windows were designed by the architect and finished by John Cairney of Glasgow and the “medieval gas brackets and pillars” supplied by Finlay & Weir of Cathcart Street, Greenock.  Other contractors who worked on the building were - Thomas Watson (builder) Glasgow, Daniel Anderson (joiner), Peter McKay (slater), McLean & Barclay (plumbers), John Buchanan (gasfitter) and Tannock & Son (plasterers). 

Photo - Greenock Burns Club

The Rev John Nelson was succeeded in 1878 by Rev Hugh Macmillan (1833-1903) who served as Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland in 1897.  In 1900 the Free Church of Scotland joined with the United Presbyterian Church to become the United Free Church.  The congregation were then known as the West United Free Church, Greenock.   In 1902, the Rev Hugh Macmillan was succeeded by Rev James J Macaulay. 

Another name change took place in 1929 when the United Free Church joined with the Church of Scotland.  The church on Ardgowan Street changed its name to St Mark’s Church.  That wasn’t the end of name changes, though.  In 1955 the church merged with Greenbank Church (corner of Kelly Street and Newton Street) to become St Mark’s Greenbank Church.  In 1987 the congregation united with that of the Old Kirk on Nelson Street to become St Luke’s Church.  (Now known as Westburn Church.)  The building was demolished in 1992 and flats built in its place.

Read more about other Greenock Churches and their history here.

John Galt - Inventor

In 1835 John Galt (1779-1839) was living in his sister's house in West Blackhall Street, Greenock.  Badly incapacitated from a number of strokes, this did not stop Galt's imagination from devising what can only be described as an early form of exercise machine.

Picture Source - Watt Institution, Greenock

A quote from a "Greenock Paper" found in the publication "Museum of Foreign Literature and Science" (Volume 26) 1835 reads:- 

“John Galt’s Hobby-Horse – Mr. Galt, being incapable of locomotion, has lately invented a machine which gives him exercise somewhat similar to riding.  It is of the form of a cross, the transverse beam moving on a pivot like a balance.  From each arm hangs a stirrup-iron, and on the top of the upright are two pullies, through which two cords are reeved, fastened to the extremities of the transverse beam.  The unfastened ends hang down in front, with bell-pull handles.  When using it, the invalid is seated on an elbow-chair, his feet placed in the stirrups, while he grasps the handles, and gives it motion by drawing the cords, raising and depressing the ends of the transverse beam."

This contraption could have been what Galt described in his Literary Life and Miscellanies Volume 1 when he wrote-

 “At last I hit, as I supposed, on a more agreeable diminution of leisure than dictating stories, and an old youthful habit was invited to return.  I imagined that there was not such a waste of thought in mechanical experiments, as in literature; and accordingly I resorted to this very questionable kind of indulgence.  Having formed in my own mind the model of a machine that promised some amusement, I resolved to make one, and with that view ordered cuts of leaden pipes, and boxes to be made, and anticipated the pleasure I should derive from the experiment.”

Unfortunately for Galt, while his mental inventiveness was still to the fore, his physical strength was waning.  He writes, "... alas, I forgot the weight of the lead, and when I came to handle my materials, I found myself, in some instances, unable to lift them, though they did not exceed many pounds”.  He employed a man to assemble the machine.

From a young age Galt had been interested in how things worked.  In his Autobiography he writes -

"While yet at school I had a bias for mechanics ... Among other things I attempted to make a hurdy-gurdy, in a box, and was magnificent in shows."  He says that his best work was "an Eolian harp, which was occasionally shown off in the staircase window, especially when my mother happened to be absent, for its mournful melody put her in the vapours, as she said, and I was obliged to give away the "wind organ" to a schoolfellow."  It is not surprising, an Aeolian harp is played by the wind and must have filled the house with very eerie sounds. 

These are just a few of the instances which show the inventiveness and curiosity of John Galt - traits which stayed with him throughout his life.

Here are some other posts about John Galt that you may enjoy (just click on the blue links) -

The Greenock Galts - information about John Galt's family and their life in Greenock.
The Galt Marbles - John Galt was in Athens when the Parthenon marbles were being shipped to Britain.
The poem that left John Galt speechless - a cheeky poem about Galt by Renfrew poet Andrew Park.
John Galt's Women - the Countess of Blessington - a great friend of John Galt with a fascinating past.
John Galt - Founder of the City of Guelph - all about the beautiful City of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.

The Sailor Poet

Robert L Malone worked as a clerk in the long-room in Greenock Custom House.  He was also a poet.  Before settling in Greenock, Malone had been a naval officer and many of his poems reflect his experiences in that sphere.

Robert Lamont Malone was born in Anstruther, Fife in 1811.  His parents were William Malone and Elizabeth Lamont.  The family had lived for a while in Rothesay before moving to Anstruther.  His father was a naval officer and later a customs official.  

Following his father's example, he entered the navy in 1826 serving on HMS Rattlesnake and HMS Pelican in the Mediterranean and South America.  However, due to ill health he left the navy and began writing poetry.

He moved to Greenock with his sisters Mary Ann and Amelia and became a clerk with HM Customs working in the Long Room at Greenock Custom House. 

In 1845 he issued a volume of poetry entitled The Sailor's Dream and Other Poems which achieved some success.  Some of his poems were published in the Greenock Advertiser.  

Several of his songs were published in Whistle Binkie, an anthology of Scottish poem and song published from 1832 until 1890, David Robertson of Glasgow was its first publisher.  Many of his poems reflect his love of Scotland like this verse from The Thistle of Scotland -

Far lovelier flowers glow, the woodlands adorning,
And breathing perfume over woodland and lea;
But there breathes not a bud on the freshness of morning,
Like the thistle - the thistle of Scotland for me.

Robert L Malone died at 3 Hamilton Street, Greenock on 6 July 1850.  After his death Greenockian Colin RaeBrown wrote a poem In Memory of Robert L Malone which was published in the The Glasgow Courier on  6 August 1850.

Miss Sainsbury and Lord Inverclyde

On 23 November 1926 a large crowd gathered at St Margaret’s Westminster hoping to catch a glimpse of the young couple who were about to be married there.  There was such a crowd that mounted police were called out to help.  It was reported that a long line of guests waited to get into the church, and that “At half-past one the long line of guests waiting outside under the awning resembled a theatre queue.  This line grew in size until it was impossible for any more guests to alight from their cars, and they had to remain in them until the people began to move into the church”.  

The groom was John Alan Burns (28), 4th Baron Inverclyde and grandson of the founder of the Cunard shipping company.  He was described as “one of London’s most eligible bachelors”, having inherited over £2 million and the title on the death of his father in 1919.  The bride was Olive Sylvia Sainsbury (19), daughter of Arthur Sainsbury of Gloucester House, Park Lane, London and granddaughter of John James Sainsbury, founder of the Sainsbury grocery empire.

Olive Sainsbury, Lady Inverclyde

However when the bride and her father arrived at the church they were in for a bit of a shock as the groom had not yet turned up!  They had a 20 minute wait before he arrived and he had to be admitted to the church by a side door!  It was later explained that the hired car he had ordered to get him to the church had gone to the wrong address and was late getting to him.  (Another report was that he was late because his car had broken down on the way to the church.) His best man was Huttleston Broughton.

The bride was accompanied by six bridesmaids (Violet Sainsbury, her elder sister, Violet Hibbert, Betty Somerset, Eileen Cowlrick, Gwen Wilmot and Rosemary Hope Vere), two little flower girls (Nefertari Bethell and Riona Maclean) and two young trainbearers (Vernon Coats and Michael Craig).  Olive Sainsbury’s dress was “a beautiful medieval gown of ivory panne, cut with a low waist, and with a skirt touching the ground.  It was finished with a girdle of pearls, and had a train of fine chiffon, trimmed with diamante.  Her lace veil was edged with pearls and, instead of a bouquet, she carried an ivory bound Prayer Book.”  Eventually the ceremony took place conducted by Canon Carnegie.  After the service, pipers of the Scots Guards (Lord Inverclyde’s regiment) piped the bride and bridegroom out of the church.  There's an amazing piece of old film of the newlywed couple exiting the church entitled "Smart Society Wedding" - view here.

The reception was held at 2 Gloucester House.   The wedding gifts (over 400) were displayed in a separate room and chief among them was a clock and alabaster ash tray from Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll.  The tenants of Castle Wemyss gave the bridegroom a sliver tray.  The captain and crew of Inverclyde's yacht Beryl gave a silver salver.  After the reception, the couple, the bride having changed into an apple-green velvet coat trimmed with lynx and a green frock, left for their honeymoon in a “little racing motor car”, with the bride driving.  They spend their honeymoon on a motor tour of the continent.

Burns Family

John Alan Burns inherited Castle Wemyss in Wemyss Bay on the West of Scotland.  His father, James Cleland Burns, 3^rd Baron Inverclyde married Charlotte Mary Emily Nugent Dunbar (her family owned Machermore Castle in Newton Stewart).  Here's a brief list of the Burns family - Sir George Burns (1795-1890) was the founder of G&J Burns with his younger brother James Burns.  They later joined with Samuel Cunard to form the Cunard Line.  George Burns was made a baronet at the age of 94 in 1889.  He died a year later ,and the title passed to John Burns (1829-1901) known as Baron Inverclyde who had taken over the family business in 1860.  On his death the title passed to his son, George Arbuthnot Burns (1861-1905) 2^nd Baron Inverclyde.  He and his wife, Mary Fergusson had no children.  On his death the title passed to his younger brother James Cleland Burns (1864-1919) 3rd Baron Inverclyde who was the father of John Alan Burns (1897-1957).

John Alan Burns was educated at Eton and the Royal Military College in Berkshire,  He was formerly a lieutenant in the Scots Guards.  He served in the first World War and was wounded by a bullet in the hand in France.  The wound was infected by gangrene, and he was sent home.  Rather than returning to the front he was given a job at the War Office in London.  He decided against working for the family Cunard business and instead became aide-de-camp of the Governor of Gibraltar from 1920-21.  

Castle Wemyss

It was 1827 before the newlyweds visited Castle Wemyss.  In June 1927 Lord Inverclyde took his bride to Castle Wemyss, where they were cheered by many of the local people and estate workers.  The crew of his yacht, Beryl attached ropes to the car and pulled it from the main gate of the estate to the front door of the house.  Lord Inverclyde carried his bride over the threshold.  The yacht Beryl was Commodore Yacht at the opening of Clyde Fortnight at Largs later that month.

Castle Wemyss, Wemyss Bay

Divorce

There was to be no happy ending for the young couple.  Lord Inverclyde was granted a divorce from his wife on 21 November 1928.  The divorce was sought on the grounds of “misconduct” (adultery) alleged to have taken place in June in a Paris hotel.  No defence was put forward and the only witnesses at court were Lord Inverclyde’s London butler, Thomas James Bull and Elsie Morris, a former maid to Lady Inverclyde.

Lady Inverclyde and 2nd husband James Pearce

Just a few days later on 5 December 1928 Lady Inverclyde married James Townsend Pearce (1904-1947).  It was discovered that they had previously been secretly engaged before her marriage to Lord Inverclyde.  Once again large crowds gathered outside the London Registry Office where the marriage was to take place.  A newspaper reported that the couple's two dogs had been present at the ceremony and had almost started a fight with another dog brought along by one of the guests!

The couple had a daughter together but divorced in June 1933.  James Townsend Pearce (described as a horse dealer) was granted custody of their daughter, Joanna.  Again the divorce was  was her alleged misconduct with Leopold Frank Partridge.  James Pearce later remarried.

Olive and Leopold Frank Partridge

Not long afterwards, on 1 February 1934, Olive married for the third time.  Her third husband was Leopold Frank Partridge (1901-1976), an art dealer and racehorse owner.  They spent their honeymoon with various hunts in Leicestershire.  A curious incident occurred in March of 1936 when Olive, on horseback joined riders on the last lap in the Leicestershire Hunt Steeplechase at Melton Mowbray.  She was fined £10!  In August 1948 Leopold Frank Partridge was granted a divorce from Olive on the grounds of her desertion.

Lord Inverclyde and Castle Wemyss

Lord Inverclyde married again in 1929.  This marriage was equally disastrous and ended in divorce (more in a later post)!  He had no heirs and after his death at Castle Wemyss in 1957, none of the remaining family could afford to keep Castle Wemyss which was sold and demolished.  There's a great site History of Wemyss Bay which gives a lot more on the history of the area (click on link).

Incredible old film of Greenock's Free French Memorial

The Free French Memorial, Lyle Hill, Greenock commemorates the Free French naval forces that sailed from the River Clyde during the second World War.  It consists of an anchor and the Cross of Lorraine which was the symbol of the Free French.  

The Memorial was unveiled on18 January 1946 by A V Alexander (1885-1965), First Lord of the Admiralty.  Among others present were Rene Massigli (1888-1988), French Ambassador in London (click on this link to read more about this very interesting man) and Admiral Ortoli (1900-1979) who represented General de Gaulle.

Four French naval vessels (destroyer Forbin, corvettes Renoncule and Roselys and the yacht Girundia) had arrived in the Clyde for the unveiling.  Members of their crews attended the event.  The Corporation of Greenock treated the guests to a special luncheon and in the evening they attended a dinner in the Central Hotel, Glasgow given by Lord Inverclyde. 

This plaque on the Memorial reads – "This monument is dedicated to the memory of the sailors of the Free French Naval Forces who sailed from Greenock in the years 1940-1945 and gave their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic for the liberation of France and the success of the allied cause."

There is an incredible piece of film from Pathe News showing the unveiling of the Free French Memorial in Greenock - 

James Watt and the Lunar Society

Greenockian James Watt (1736-1819) is best known as an inventor and engineer.  In 1775 he went into partnership with Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) and they later set up the Soho Foundry near Birmingham.  However both men were also part of a group of some of the most interesting thinkers and inventors of the time.  This group came to be known as the Birmingham Lunar Society.

The Lunar Society is thought to have started with Dr Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), grandfather of Charles Darwin.  Darwin, a physician and poet, had a wide circle of friends and entertained them at his home.  Among them was another physician, Dr William Small (1734-1775) who had worked for a time in America and was mentor to Thomas Jefferson (3rd President of the United States) before returning to Birmingham.  He had a letter of introduction to Matthew Boulton from Benjamin Franklin and became Boulton's doctor.  The group often met at Boulton's home - Soho House.

Matthew Boulton

The Society was informal and met once a month regularly between 1765 and 1813 on the Monday nearest the full moon in the homes of the various members.  Those who attended (never more than 14) would have dinner and then settle to discuss a wide range of topics from science to philosophy.  It was said that they met at the time of the full moon to make travelling home easier.

Among others, the group also included some very interesting people - 

Samuel Galton (1753-1832), Quaker gunmaker, ornithologist and banker.

Dr William Withering (1741-1799) physician and botanist.

Joseph Priestly (1733-1804) minister, scientist (discovered oxygen) and revolutionary.

Captain James Keir (1735-1820), chemist and geologist.

John Whitehurst (1713-1788), clock and instrument maker and geologist.

Josiah Wedgewood

Josiah Wedgewood (1730-1795), pottery manufacturer.  (Interestingly, his daughter married Erasmus Darwin's son.)

Richard Lovell Edgeworth (1744-1817) inventor and writer.

In a previous Greenockian Blog post about James Watt's son, Gregory, many of the people mentioned above have connections to the Watt family.  Read the post here.

New Year Nostalgia

Happy Hogmanay to you!  For many of us, this is a time for nostalgia and thoughts of years past.  Take a look at how Greenock looked before the 1970s "modernisation"!  (Some of which ironically, is to be "redeveloped" next year!!!!)  It shows that Greenock once had a great selection of shops and how busy West Blackhall Street used to be!

Please enjoy!

Crow Mount, Greenock

Crow Mount or “the Mount” as it was called was a wooded area of Greenock.  

Photo - Greenock Burns Club

Described in “Views and Reminiscences of Old Greenock” (1891) as stretching - “westwards from Bank Street to Ann Street and running northwards from Dempster Street to Roxburgh Street”.  When this photograph was taken “largely a plantation with a few gardens, and here and there a cottage or residence of some well-known citizen”.                

Map 1861

It is described as “in its way, a miniature forest, with trees of luxuriant growth, which attracted crows, and made it a breeding place and a centre for this well known species of bird, the chorus of whose peculiar cawing became a familiar feature of the neighbourhood”. 

Map 1915

While over the years the area became built up, it was still remembered in the names of buildings which once stood in the area – Mount Park Free Church (Trafalgar Street) which opened in 1874 and the Mount School.

Stained glass nativity

Merry Christmas!

This beautiful stained glass nativity scene can be found in Westburn Parish Church, Nelson Street, Greenock.

The artist was Douglas Strachan.  See more of the window in a previous post here.

Christmas gifts in Greenock

Just like today, back in the 1890s many shops took advantage of advertising their wares over the Christmas and New Year period.  Perhaps one of the biggest shops in Greenock was J G Rowan & Co who had premises at Hamilton Street.

Their Christmas advertising listed some of the many items that could be purchased as gifts.

For gentlemen there were "plush and handsewn smoking caps" or perhaps "silk and elastic braces" both "in fancy boxes".

For the woman in your life suggested gifts were - “plush and gilt photo frames, plaques, hand-painted views” or “satin lined work baskets or jewel cases”.  

Photo - Greenock Burns Club

The photo above shows the premises in Hamilton Street before the Municipal Buildings were constructed.  You can just see the roof of the town hall building to the left. Rowan's building, now known as Cathcart House is next to the carriage way entrance to the Municipal Buildings in Cathcart Square.  (Some people might remember Smith's Warehouse which used to be in this building and was a wonderful place for children at Christmas.  That's where we went to see the toys and decide what we wanted for Christmas!)

Unusual location for stained glass

Can you guess where in Greenock you would find this beautiful stained glass panel?

It is not easy to see now because it is situated in the upper portion of Greenock's shopping centre - the Oak Mall.  This part of the Mall, at the upper eastern entrance is now closed off, but if you stand at the bottom of the stairs in the dilapidated lower east section of the Mall and look up you can just about see it.

Plans are underway (and have been for a considerable time) to completely redevelop this section of the Oak Mall and the surrounding area.  I hope that when these plans finally come to pass this panel will be saved and found a suitable place in the refurbished shopping centre.  You can read about the redevelopment plans on Inverclyde Council's website.

Oak Mall, Greenock from Clyde Square

I could not find any information about the stained glass panel, but to me it looks like a shoal of herring which would give it a good Greenock connection.