Description

Thomas Tolmie Paterson (architect), William Beveridge (sculptor), 1901. Celtic cross memorial with raised stepped base, erected in memory of Major General Andrew Gilbert Wauchope of Niddrie Marischal who fell in Boer War, set in front of former Niddrie Mill Primary School on school ground. Pink Corennie granite. Cross with Wauchope arms and arms of University of Edinburgh, St Andrew and Scotland with Celtic style decoration on shaft. Polished panels on base with inscription with raised letters.

Statement of Interest

Unveiled in 1901, this memorial to Major General Wauchope, who died in 1899 in the Battle of Magersfontein, South Africa, is one of a relatively small number of Boer War memorials in Scotland and a fine example of the Celtic revival sculpted monument. Boer War memorials are far rarer than memorials dating from the two World Wars and those commemorating individuals are scarcer than those dedicated to regiments.

The Celtic revival style was prevalent from the mid-19th century as part of the nationalistic movement which sought inspiration in works of the Middle Ages. Celtic crosses were popular from at least the 1880s through to the First World War and after and the Wauchope Memorial is a fine example of its type.

The designer of the memorial, Thomas Tolmie Paterson, is a member of the Paterson family of architects, his father being the architect John Paterson (1832-1877) and his uncle the architect and City Assessor Robert Paterson (1825-1899) with whose practice he merged his in 1905. He had trained with one of Edinburgh's foremost architects of the late 19th century, Robert Rowand Anderson, and worked for a period of time in association with Robert Lorimer, perhaps on competitions. He must have been rated highly by both Anderson and Lorimer in order to have secured these positions. Paterson was responsible for the design of Niddrie Mill School (1895), the commission having been won in an open competition and was no doubt the obvious choice by the subscribers. As far as is known, this is the only example of a monument designed by Paterson.

It is considered that Major General Andrew Gilbert Wauchope (1846-1899) is a locally significant figure associated with a nationally significant event for which relatively few individual memorials have been erected. The Wauchope family had held the Niddrie Marischal estate since the late 14th century was a very distinguished soldier and was highly esteemed as an employer and as a person. Several other memorials were erected to his memory ' for example in Yetholm, Roxburghshire where he held other estates as well as in York, Perth and elsewhere in Edinburgh. This memorial was built by subscription and among those who contributed were the miners who worked the coal seams on the Niddrie estate. In an interlude between his military duties he was active in politics and ran against Gladstone in the 1892 election. He campaigned for the rights of miners and proposed work limits as well as supporting the families of miners during the coal strike in 1894.

It is situated within the front garden of the former Niddrie Mill Primary School (unlisted) on a busy main road in a built-up area. Its care and maintenance was initially the responsibility of Liberton School Board which is unusual. When the cross was unveiled, pupils from the school were present in the crowd and led the singing. Almost certainly Major General Wauchope provided the land on which the school was built.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77782432

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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