Around Edinburgh - 49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade Company, 1905-06

49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade

1905-1906

This photograph of the 49th Edinburgh Boys Brigade was taken in 1905 or 1906. The gates look quite distinctive, but where are they?

Phil Wilson, who owns this photograph tells me:

"The 49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade Company operated out of the St Giles/Canongate area of Edinburgh. The Company was disbanded in 1910."

Question

Where was this photo taken?

More than one person, including Arthur G R Richardson (below) has suggested that this looks like the entrance to Inverleith Park or the Botanical Gardens.

However, the gates on the photograph don't seem to match what is there now. Perhaps the small building beside the gates may give a clue.

Replies

1, 2, 3

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

Royal Botanic Garden?

Three people have suggested that this looks like the entrance to Inverleith Park or the Botanical Gardens.

However, the gates on the photograph don't seem to match what is there now. Perhaps the small building beside the gates may give a clue.

Reply

Arthur G R Sutherland

York

Arthur G R Sutherland, now living in York, for wrote:

Four Possibilities

"Four possibilities exist with regard to the 49th group photo. I wasn't too sure about the Inverleith possibility as I was working from memory.

Therefore possibilities are:

1) It is still the Botanics or Inverleith as the appearance of the gates could have changed several time since that photograph was taken.

2) A large park in the Saughton / Balgreen area may be the location, which I am not so well acquainted with but I believe there was a big exhibition there at around the time this photo was taken, and the company may have been taken to see it.

That sounds like an interesting possibility. It was the 'Scottish National Exhibition' that was held in Saughton Park in 1908.

However, I visited Saughton Park today and none of the gates or gate posts in the park now seem to match those on the photograph

- Peter Stubbs: May 23, 2006.

3) It is not in Edinburgh at all as the company may have been taking part in a competition in another town.

4) The photo is posed against a backdrop."

Arthur G R Sutherland, York

Reply

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh? - No

I have photographed the West Gates of the Royal Botanic Garden, in Arboretum Place, Edinburgh, opposite the entrance to Inverleith Park.

I found that neither the gate posts nor the railings now match those in the photograph above, and that the building on the left in the picture has vanished.

Reply

Robert A Boyter

Edinburgh

I have photographed the West Gates of the Royal Botanic Garden, in Arboretum Place, Edinburgh, opposite the entrance to Inverleith Park.

I found that neither the gate posts nor the railings now match those in the photograph above, and that the building on the left in the picture has vanished.

However Robert A Boyter, the Development & Training Officer for Edinburgh, Leith & District Battalion, The Boys' Brigade tells me:

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh? - Yes

"I have looked at the picture and it matches one we have. It was taken in October 1905 and is the entrance to the Royal Botanical Gardens."

Robert A Boyter, Edinburgh: September 2006

Reply

Robert A Boyter

Edinburgh

Thank you, also, to Robert A Boyter for providing further info concerning the 49th, Edinburgh Boys' Brigade Company in the early 1900s.

49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade Company - Background

"Another company formed by a student missionary society was the Edinburgh University Missionary Association Company which began in 1904, meeting in Buccleuch Parish Church hall.

It was transferred and re-enrolled for the Edinburgh University Settlement Association in 1907 and met in the Settlement's buildings at Surgeons' Square.

In October 1909, Sergeant Robert McD Butchard was awarded the BB Cross for Heroism for saving life from drowning. In 1910 the Company was disbanded after all the Officers resigned."

Source: 'Pill Box and Service Cap' by J B Barclay.

Robert A Boyter, Edinburgh: September 22, 2006

Reply

Phil Wilson

Aberdeen, Scotland

Phil Wilson, who supplied this photo, responded:

Missionary Work

"Quite fascinating! I notice the Company had Missionary Work in its background, which might explain the several coloured boys in the troop."

Phil Wilson, Aberdeen: September 25, 2006

Reply

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

I contacted these organisations to see if this location could be identified, including:

- Historic Scotland

- Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland

- Royal Botanic Garden

The location has still not been identified.

Shauna Hay, Press & Marketing Office, Royal Botanic Gardens wrote:

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh? - No

"I don’t think it is the Garden. I wonder, by the avenue of trees, if it might be Inverleith Park? Good luck in your quest!"

Inverleith Park - Probably not.

Perhaps it is Inverleith Park - possibly the east gate of the park facing directly onto the Royal Botanic Garden.

However, that seems unlikely to me. Certainly, none of the current gates or railings in the park match those in the photo, and there are no buildings now beside any of the park gates., but that seems unlikely to me

Reply

Edith Smith

It's now over six years since anybody suggested to me where this photo might have been taken, so I showed it to Edit Smith, President of Edinburgh Photographic Society, this morning.

Scott Park, Galashiels?

Her immediate reaction was that it looked like the entrance to Scott Park, Galashiels, in the Scottish Borders. That sounds like the sort of place that an Edinburgh Boys' Brigade company might have gone on an outing in the early 1900s.

Scott Park, Galashiels? - No

However, Edith has now replied saying that her photo (Photo 2 below) does not match my photo (Photo 1 below). That's a pity as I was looking forward to a day out to Galashiels to investigate!

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 7, 2013

Here are the two photos referred to above:

Photo 1

Where?

Photo 2

zoom-in

Scott Park, Galashiels

Photo 2

zoom-out

Scott Park, Galashiels

Reply

Winnie Lisowski

Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Winnie Lisowski who wrote:

Duddingston House or Gogarburn House?

"My first reaction to this photo was that it might be Duddingston House, or perhaps Gogarburn House.

Both of these had houses on the left, similar to the one in your photo, as you entered through the gates."

Winnie Lisowski, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade

1905-1906

This photograph of the 49th Edinburgh Boys Brigade was taken in 1905 or 1906. The gates look quite distinctive, but where are they?

Phil Wilson, who owns this photograph tells me:

"The 49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade Company operated out of the St Giles/Canongate area of Edinburgh. The Company was disbanded in 1910."

Question

Where was this photo taken?

More than one person, including Arthur G R Richardson (below) has suggested that this looks like the entrance to Inverleith Park or the Botanical Gardens.

However, the gates on the photograph don't seem to match what is there now. Perhaps the small building beside the gates may give a clue.

Replies

1, 2, 3

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

Royal Botanic Garden?

Three people have suggested that this looks like the entrance to Inverleith Park or the Botanical Gardens.

However, the gates on the photograph don't seem to match what is there now. Perhaps the small building beside the gates may give a clue.

Reply

Arthur G R Sutherland

York

Arthur G R Sutherland, now living in York, for wrote:

Four Possibilities

"Four possibilities exist with regard to the 49th group photo. I wasn't too sure about the Inverleith possibility as I was working from memory.

Therefore possibilities are:

1) It is still the Botanics or Inverleith as the appearance of the gates could have changed several time since that photograph was taken.

That sounds like an interesting possibility. It was the 'Scottish National Exhibition' that was held in Saughton Park in 1908.

However, I visited Saughton Park today and none of the gates or gate posts in the park now seem to match those on the photograph

- Peter Stubbs: May 23, 2006.

3) It is not in Edinburgh at all as the company may have been taking part in a competition in another town.

4) The photo is posed against a backdrop."

Arthur G R Sutherland, York

Reply

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh? - No

I have photographed the West Gates of the Royal Botanic Garden, in Arboretum Place, Edinburgh, opposite the entrance to Inverleith Park.

I found that neither the gate posts nor the railings now match those in the photograph above, and that the building on the left in the picture has vanished.

Reply

Robert A Boyter

Edinburgh

I have photographed the West Gates of the Royal Botanic Garden, in Arboretum Place, Edinburgh, opposite the entrance to Inverleith Park.

I found that neither the gate posts nor the railings now match those in the photograph above, and that the building on the left in the picture has vanished.

However Robert A Boyter, the Development & Training Officer for Edinburgh, Leith & District Battalion, The Boys' Brigade tells me:

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh? - Yes

"I have looked at the picture and it matches one we have. It was taken in October 1905 and is the entrance to the Royal Botanical Gardens."

Robert A Boyter, Edinburgh: September 2006

Reply

Robert A Boyter

Edinburgh

Thank you, also, to Robert A Boyter for providing further info concerning the 49th, Edinburgh Boys' Brigade Company in the early 1900s.

49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade Company - Background

"Another company formed by a student missionary society was the Edinburgh University Missionary Association Company which began in 1904, meeting in Buccleuch Parish Church hall.

It was transferred and re-enrolled for the Edinburgh University Settlement Association in 1907 and met in the Settlement's buildings at Surgeons' Square.

In October 1909, Sergeant Robert McD Butchard was awarded the BB Cross for Heroism for saving life from drowning. In 1910 the Company was disbanded after all the Officers resigned."

Source: 'Pill Box and Service Cap' by J B Barclay.

Robert A Boyter, Edinburgh: September 22, 2006

Reply

Phil Wilson

Aberdeen, Scotland

Phil Wilson, who supplied this photo, responded:

Missionary Work

"Quite fascinating! I notice the Company had Missionary Work in its background, which might explain the several coloured boys in the troop."

Phil Wilson, Aberdeen: September 25, 2006

Reply

Peter Stubbs

Edinburgh

I contacted these organisations to see if this location could be identified, including:

- Historic Scotland

- Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland

- Royal Botanic Garden

The location has still not been identified.

Shauna Hay, Press & Marketing Office, Royal Botanic Gardens wrote:

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh? - No

"I don’t think it is the Garden. I wonder, by the avenue of trees, if it might be Inverleith Park? Good luck in your quest!"

Inverleith Park - Probably not.

Perhaps it is Inverleith Park - possibly the east gate of the park facing directly onto the Royal Botanic Garden.

Reply

Edith Smith

It's now over six years since anybody suggested to me where this photo might have been taken, so I showed it to Edit Smith, President of Edinburgh Photographic Society, this morning.

Scott Park, Galashiels?

Scott Park, Galashiels? - No

However, Edith has now replied saying that her photo (Photo 2 below) does not match my photo (Photo 1 below). That's a pity as I was looking forward to a day out to Galashiels to investigate!

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 7, 2013

Here are the two photos referred to above:

Photo 1

Where?

Photo 2

zoom-in

Scott Park, Galashiels

Photo 2

zoom-out

Scott Park, Galashiels

Reply

Winnie Lisowski

Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Winnie Lisowski who wrote:

Duddingston House or Gogarburn House?

"My first reaction to this photo was that it might be Duddingston House, or perhaps Gogarburn House.

Both of these had houses on the left, similar to the one in your photo, as you entered through the gates."

Winnie Lisowski, Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland

Reply

Allan Dodds

Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England

Thank you to Allan Dodds who wrote:

Inverleith Park?

"I have a hunch that the photo was taken in front of the gates of Inverleith Park opposite the Botanics. The vista is of a long avenue of trees which neither the Botanics nor Scott Park possesses.

Edinburgh City Council will have photographs that can confirm or refute this."

Allan Dodds, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England: January 10, 2013

Inverleith Park?

Thanks for your comments Allan.

You are not the first person to make that suggestion but the gates currently at that entrance to Inverlieth Park (or the gates at the other entrances to the park) bear little resemblance to the gates in this picture:

Also, I am not aware of there ever having been a gatehouse at the park gates.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 14, 2013