S.R. Crockett's memorial
The idea of a memorial to S.R.Crockett first came up in 1930, proving that he still had some ‘fans’ in the years after his death. One of these was Sir Herbert Maxwell, who gave a speech at the imauguration of the memorial on Saturday 18th June 1932.
The story of the memorial allows us to trace an interesting journey through the news reporting of the day.
In June 1930 The Scotsman reported ‘definite steps have been taken for the erection of a memorial in Galloway to the late S.R. Crockett, the distinguished author of ‘The Raiders’ and other Galloway novels. Subscriptions of ‘no more than 5s’ were invited and James Dalyrmple and J.B. Ramsay were the honorary treasurers who oversaw the fund-raising. It was determined from the beginning that it should be a ‘modest one such as Mr Crockett himself would have wished.’
There followed a lively debate in The Scotsman and elsewhere over proposed sites for the memorial. Everywhere from Heston Island to Clatteringshaws was mooted by people writing in with their favoured options.
One of them, signing himself ‘Back Hill o’ Bush’ in Sept 1930 said: I am a lover of and frequent rambler in the Galloway area (taken thither at first by ‘The Raiders’) and Crockett always suggests to me the lonely places and what they stand for. He thus dismissed the most popular options of Heston Island as ‘un-getable, and unless in very favourable conditions is rather a treacherous place in which to place a memorial, what with the tide and the sands.’ He further noted that ‘The well site, on the new Galloway Road, is better but this again is on a main road and with the rush of the motor age seems rather alien to a man of the type and spirit of Crockett, whom it is desired to honour.’
By October 1930 The Scotsman reported that ‘In connection with the proposal to erect in Galloway a memorial to the distinguished Scottish novelist, the late Samuel Rutherford Crockett, it is intimated that contributions amounting to £165 have now been received. The subscription list is to remain open for some time and an appeal has been issued to the members of the London Galloway Association and to some of the leading Scottish societies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.’
Suggestions of where the memorial should be sited became ever more varied with everywhere from Clatteringshaws to ‘Cairn Edward’ to Auchencairn and ‘Clachanpluck’ being mooted. The Scotsman stated that as well as deciding where the memorial would stand ‘The nature of the memorial might also form the subject of suggestion. It must, of course, be kept in view that the aim is a modest one. A rough hewn granite stone with inset table commemorating in suitable words the name of Samuel Rutherford Crockett would be the most appropriate.
In November 1930, the ‘movement’ received Royal support. The Duchess of York (better known to those of us living as The Queen Mother) gave a contribution and stating that ‘the subscription is sent as a token of Her Royal Highness’s sympathy with the movement to commemorate this distinctive Scots writer, whose stories she remembers with pleasure.’
The Committee replied that ‘This intimation has been received with much gratification by the Committee and should be equally pleasing to the people of Galloway as showing that Crockett’s romantic stories have had a wide and appreciative audience. It should also stimulate even further interest in the movement.’
The decision to erect the Memorial at Laurieston was reported in The Scotsman on October 8th 1931 as follows:
The memorial to Samuel Rutherford Crockett, the famous Galloway author, is to be erected near the village of Laurieston. This decision was come to after a discussion at a meeting of the General Committee and Subscribers held in Glasgow yesterday. Three sites were voted upon, - Laurieston, Heston Island and Clatteringshaws – and the vote showed a substantial majority in favour of the site chosen.
The questions of a site had been under consideration by those with whom the proposal originated and after a careful review of the matter from all aspects – including personal inspection of the various sites suggested, it was recommended that the memorial be erected overlooking the Laurieston- New Galloway road on a site outside the village. A grant of the proposed site had been offered by the proprietor of the ground.
Mr J.M. Wilson presided at yesterday’s meeting, and in his opening remarks said he owed his position as chairman that day to the fact that he happened to be chief of the Glasgow ‘Galloway Raiders’ for the current year. The movement for preserving in some suitable form the memory of Galloway’s distinguished literary son originated during their ‘raid’ in the summer of last year, in the course of which a visit was paid to Balmaghie Kirkyard. The only tribute to Crockett’s memory was the engraving of his name on the family tombstone, and it was there and then resolved that a movement should be set on foot for some worthy commemoration of the novelist by the erection of a stone in some suitable spot in his beloved Galloway.
The response to the movement had been exceedingly gratifying, contributions having come not only from Galloway and other parts of Scotland, but from England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America. Mr Wilson referred specially to the fact that H.R.H. the Duchess of York on learning of the proposal, gave an expression of the keen pleasure which she had derived from reading Crockett’s stories.
He added that Mr J.Jeffrey Waddell, the well known Glasgow architect, had shown his interest in the proposed memorial and had prepared a design.
Mr J.B. Ramsay submitted the report of the joint treasurers. The subscriptions received amounted to £221.
Mr Jeffry Waddell explained that the design was prepared before he actually knew of the site or the sum of money available for the purpose. He put forward the design as something to start with, and before going any further he would like to see the site, and make a design to suit it.
In the discussion which followed, Mr James Dalrymple, one of the joint treasurers, referred to the initiation of the scheme, and said that when they decided to make a start, it was agreed that the maximum contribution should be 5s. The secretary had mentioned that a great many places had been suggested and each one had its own claim; but he was satisfied in his own mind that the most suitable spot was at the Upper Bridge of Dee. He wanted to see Crockett out in the open, amongst the whaups and the peewits, amongst the bog myrtle and peat of his own native island. Going through Galloway they passed many memorials commemorating local events. Crockett was in a different category. They wanted him away from mere village interest.
A proposal that the memorial should be erected on Heston Island, the Rathan Isle of ‘The Raiders’ was put forward by Mr J.W.Herries who said that his suggestion had a very wide support in the Solway district and among a great many warm admirers of Crockett. He did not think that it was exactly appreciated what was implied and what was behind the Heston scheme. To him there was a very vital objection against the landward sites porposed. A memorial on one of these sites would be in the nature of one of the numerous war memorials scattered all over the country, and while the people in the immediate vicinity would know of the memorial, it would not be known to the greater world.
They could not imagine the motorist stopping his car at such a memorial and investigating what its purpose was. If he did so he would be stopping on nearly every mile of the road. The Heston site was most appropriate. The Isle of Rathan was situated in the centre of Galloway’s most popular seaside area, and every year many new people gathered there. On going there they could not overlook such a memorial as he had in view if it was put on Rathan Island. He suggested a tall white pillar that would catch the eye along a seaboard of something like 20 miles. Nobody seeing that could fail to ask what it was; and in that way, year after year, they would be attracting the attention of great numbers of new people to Crockett. The only adequate memorial they could have to an author like Crockett was one which would interest people in his works and impel people to read them.
Mr M’Chlery said that in the whole circumstances he thought they would be coming to a proper conclusion in having the memorial at Laurieston.
In the course of further discussion, Mr Dalrymple said to place the memorial on some of the sites proposed would be belittling Crockett. The two best proposal were undoubtedly the Upper Bridge of Dee and Heston Island. They were the only two reasonable proposals that had been made.
On a vote being taken, only two voted for Clatteringshaws and Heston Island, the Laurieston proposal being carried by a large majority. Mr C’Chlery then moved that a sub-committee including local representatives be appointed to carry out the scheme in conjunction with Mr Jeffrey Waddell. Also that the design submitted by Mr Waddell be approved, that he be thanked for his services, and that he be authorised to obtain estimates. In addition Mr M’Chlery moved that the offer of ground by Mr Peter Erskine of North Quintinespie be accepted and he be thanked for his generosity. This was agreed to.
It is clear there were still strong and varied opinions on the matter. Some nine months later The Scotsman reports in ‘June Ceremonies’ (May 21st 1932)
‘Arrangements have been made for the inauguration of the Memorial to S.R.Crockett, the famous novelist on the afternoon of Saturday 18th June. The Memorial, which has been carried out to the design of Mr J. Jeffrey Waddell, I.A, architect, Glasgow, has been erected on a site near the village of Laurieston, which is near Crockett’s birthplace. The unveiling ceremony, which is to take place at 3pm, will be attended by Captain Wickham-Weekes, the Convenor of the County council of the Stewartry, who will preside, and Sir Herbert Maxwell of Monreith. Mrs Crockett, widow of the novelist, will unveil the monument. It will be recalled that alternative proposals for the Memorial were fully discussed, one being for its erection on the Island of Heston, which as ‘Rathan’ is the scene of exciting incidents in Crockett’s most famous book ‘The Raiders’ and another suggestion was that it should be placed at Clatteringshaws Bridge, near the entrance to the wild gypsy country, in which also many exciting episodes of ‘The Raiders’ take place. It was finally decided at a meeting of the subscribers in Glasgow, that the Memorial should be placed near Laurieston village.
Subscriptions to the Memorial were limited to 5s and an opportunity is being given to any who have not yet subscribed to add to a fund to provide for the future maintenance of the ground and the Memorial.’
Today, 100 years on, Crockett is all but forgotten by the wider reading public. Who can say whether siting his memorial at another place would have altered this state of affairs. But in the spirit of the self styled ‘Galloway Raiders’ of the 1930’s the new ‘Galloway Raiders’ are committed to using whatever means possible to keep the memory of S.R.Crockett alive in the virtual world –one that did not exist even 50 years ago. We can only hope that the people of Galloway will do as much in the ‘real’ world to keep the memory of their most famous novelist alive.
The story of the memorial allows us to trace an interesting journey through the news reporting of the day.
In June 1930 The Scotsman reported ‘definite steps have been taken for the erection of a memorial in Galloway to the late S.R. Crockett, the distinguished author of ‘The Raiders’ and other Galloway novels. Subscriptions of ‘no more than 5s’ were invited and James Dalyrmple and J.B. Ramsay were the honorary treasurers who oversaw the fund-raising. It was determined from the beginning that it should be a ‘modest one such as Mr Crockett himself would have wished.’
There followed a lively debate in The Scotsman and elsewhere over proposed sites for the memorial. Everywhere from Heston Island to Clatteringshaws was mooted by people writing in with their favoured options.
One of them, signing himself ‘Back Hill o’ Bush’ in Sept 1930 said: I am a lover of and frequent rambler in the Galloway area (taken thither at first by ‘The Raiders’) and Crockett always suggests to me the lonely places and what they stand for. He thus dismissed the most popular options of Heston Island as ‘un-getable, and unless in very favourable conditions is rather a treacherous place in which to place a memorial, what with the tide and the sands.’ He further noted that ‘The well site, on the new Galloway Road, is better but this again is on a main road and with the rush of the motor age seems rather alien to a man of the type and spirit of Crockett, whom it is desired to honour.’
By October 1930 The Scotsman reported that ‘In connection with the proposal to erect in Galloway a memorial to the distinguished Scottish novelist, the late Samuel Rutherford Crockett, it is intimated that contributions amounting to £165 have now been received. The subscription list is to remain open for some time and an appeal has been issued to the members of the London Galloway Association and to some of the leading Scottish societies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.’
Suggestions of where the memorial should be sited became ever more varied with everywhere from Clatteringshaws to ‘Cairn Edward’ to Auchencairn and ‘Clachanpluck’ being mooted. The Scotsman stated that as well as deciding where the memorial would stand ‘The nature of the memorial might also form the subject of suggestion. It must, of course, be kept in view that the aim is a modest one. A rough hewn granite stone with inset table commemorating in suitable words the name of Samuel Rutherford Crockett would be the most appropriate.
In November 1930, the ‘movement’ received Royal support. The Duchess of York (better known to those of us living as The Queen Mother) gave a contribution and stating that ‘the subscription is sent as a token of Her Royal Highness’s sympathy with the movement to commemorate this distinctive Scots writer, whose stories she remembers with pleasure.’
The Committee replied that ‘This intimation has been received with much gratification by the Committee and should be equally pleasing to the people of Galloway as showing that Crockett’s romantic stories have had a wide and appreciative audience. It should also stimulate even further interest in the movement.’
The decision to erect the Memorial at Laurieston was reported in The Scotsman on October 8th 1931 as follows:
The memorial to Samuel Rutherford Crockett, the famous Galloway author, is to be erected near the village of Laurieston. This decision was come to after a discussion at a meeting of the General Committee and Subscribers held in Glasgow yesterday. Three sites were voted upon, - Laurieston, Heston Island and Clatteringshaws – and the vote showed a substantial majority in favour of the site chosen.
The questions of a site had been under consideration by those with whom the proposal originated and after a careful review of the matter from all aspects – including personal inspection of the various sites suggested, it was recommended that the memorial be erected overlooking the Laurieston- New Galloway road on a site outside the village. A grant of the proposed site had been offered by the proprietor of the ground.
Mr J.M. Wilson presided at yesterday’s meeting, and in his opening remarks said he owed his position as chairman that day to the fact that he happened to be chief of the Glasgow ‘Galloway Raiders’ for the current year. The movement for preserving in some suitable form the memory of Galloway’s distinguished literary son originated during their ‘raid’ in the summer of last year, in the course of which a visit was paid to Balmaghie Kirkyard. The only tribute to Crockett’s memory was the engraving of his name on the family tombstone, and it was there and then resolved that a movement should be set on foot for some worthy commemoration of the novelist by the erection of a stone in some suitable spot in his beloved Galloway.
The response to the movement had been exceedingly gratifying, contributions having come not only from Galloway and other parts of Scotland, but from England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America. Mr Wilson referred specially to the fact that H.R.H. the Duchess of York on learning of the proposal, gave an expression of the keen pleasure which she had derived from reading Crockett’s stories.
He added that Mr J.Jeffrey Waddell, the well known Glasgow architect, had shown his interest in the proposed memorial and had prepared a design.
Mr J.B. Ramsay submitted the report of the joint treasurers. The subscriptions received amounted to £221.
Mr Jeffry Waddell explained that the design was prepared before he actually knew of the site or the sum of money available for the purpose. He put forward the design as something to start with, and before going any further he would like to see the site, and make a design to suit it.
In the discussion which followed, Mr James Dalrymple, one of the joint treasurers, referred to the initiation of the scheme, and said that when they decided to make a start, it was agreed that the maximum contribution should be 5s. The secretary had mentioned that a great many places had been suggested and each one had its own claim; but he was satisfied in his own mind that the most suitable spot was at the Upper Bridge of Dee. He wanted to see Crockett out in the open, amongst the whaups and the peewits, amongst the bog myrtle and peat of his own native island. Going through Galloway they passed many memorials commemorating local events. Crockett was in a different category. They wanted him away from mere village interest.
A proposal that the memorial should be erected on Heston Island, the Rathan Isle of ‘The Raiders’ was put forward by Mr J.W.Herries who said that his suggestion had a very wide support in the Solway district and among a great many warm admirers of Crockett. He did not think that it was exactly appreciated what was implied and what was behind the Heston scheme. To him there was a very vital objection against the landward sites porposed. A memorial on one of these sites would be in the nature of one of the numerous war memorials scattered all over the country, and while the people in the immediate vicinity would know of the memorial, it would not be known to the greater world.
They could not imagine the motorist stopping his car at such a memorial and investigating what its purpose was. If he did so he would be stopping on nearly every mile of the road. The Heston site was most appropriate. The Isle of Rathan was situated in the centre of Galloway’s most popular seaside area, and every year many new people gathered there. On going there they could not overlook such a memorial as he had in view if it was put on Rathan Island. He suggested a tall white pillar that would catch the eye along a seaboard of something like 20 miles. Nobody seeing that could fail to ask what it was; and in that way, year after year, they would be attracting the attention of great numbers of new people to Crockett. The only adequate memorial they could have to an author like Crockett was one which would interest people in his works and impel people to read them.
Mr M’Chlery said that in the whole circumstances he thought they would be coming to a proper conclusion in having the memorial at Laurieston.
In the course of further discussion, Mr Dalrymple said to place the memorial on some of the sites proposed would be belittling Crockett. The two best proposal were undoubtedly the Upper Bridge of Dee and Heston Island. They were the only two reasonable proposals that had been made.
On a vote being taken, only two voted for Clatteringshaws and Heston Island, the Laurieston proposal being carried by a large majority. Mr C’Chlery then moved that a sub-committee including local representatives be appointed to carry out the scheme in conjunction with Mr Jeffrey Waddell. Also that the design submitted by Mr Waddell be approved, that he be thanked for his services, and that he be authorised to obtain estimates. In addition Mr M’Chlery moved that the offer of ground by Mr Peter Erskine of North Quintinespie be accepted and he be thanked for his generosity. This was agreed to.
It is clear there were still strong and varied opinions on the matter. Some nine months later The Scotsman reports in ‘June Ceremonies’ (May 21st 1932)
‘Arrangements have been made for the inauguration of the Memorial to S.R.Crockett, the famous novelist on the afternoon of Saturday 18th June. The Memorial, which has been carried out to the design of Mr J. Jeffrey Waddell, I.A, architect, Glasgow, has been erected on a site near the village of Laurieston, which is near Crockett’s birthplace. The unveiling ceremony, which is to take place at 3pm, will be attended by Captain Wickham-Weekes, the Convenor of the County council of the Stewartry, who will preside, and Sir Herbert Maxwell of Monreith. Mrs Crockett, widow of the novelist, will unveil the monument. It will be recalled that alternative proposals for the Memorial were fully discussed, one being for its erection on the Island of Heston, which as ‘Rathan’ is the scene of exciting incidents in Crockett’s most famous book ‘The Raiders’ and another suggestion was that it should be placed at Clatteringshaws Bridge, near the entrance to the wild gypsy country, in which also many exciting episodes of ‘The Raiders’ take place. It was finally decided at a meeting of the subscribers in Glasgow, that the Memorial should be placed near Laurieston village.
Subscriptions to the Memorial were limited to 5s and an opportunity is being given to any who have not yet subscribed to add to a fund to provide for the future maintenance of the ground and the Memorial.’
Today, 100 years on, Crockett is all but forgotten by the wider reading public. Who can say whether siting his memorial at another place would have altered this state of affairs. But in the spirit of the self styled ‘Galloway Raiders’ of the 1930’s the new ‘Galloway Raiders’ are committed to using whatever means possible to keep the memory of S.R.Crockett alive in the virtual world –one that did not exist even 50 years ago. We can only hope that the people of Galloway will do as much in the ‘real’ world to keep the memory of their most famous novelist alive.