Glasgow Gallivanting: December 2018

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Photo credit TS Beall

In December I gave my talk! As part of a Suffrage afternoon at the Mitchell Library I spoke about Jessie Stephen, the Glasgow Suffragette I have been researching this year. It was well received I’m glad to report, in fact the Chair described it as a barnstorm. The pictures show me giving it laldy (ie speaking with great gusto).

The Hunterian

We visited the Hunterian a couple of times, Glasgow University’s museum and art gallery. The first time was an evening event in the museum for university staff and their guests, which we enjoyed. Prosecco and canapés, what’s not to love?

Our second visit was across the road in the art gallery. The Hunterian is named after William Hunter (1718-1783) who started it all off by leaving his collections to the University, his alma mater, and the gallery has currently been cleared of its usual contents for an exhibition marking the tercentenary of his birth (closes this weekend, so hurry along). Hunter was an anatomist and physician (he delivered most of the children of  Queen Charlotte and George III) but also a collector of books, paintings and other artefacts so the exhibition was not just medical. Here are two portraits of Hunter, for example, one by his friend Allan Ramsay, and the other commissioned from Sir Joshua Reynolds after Hunter’s death.

Portrait by Allan Ramsay
Portrait by Joshua Reynolds

Other than the exhibits themselves, there were two things I really liked. First, the booklet which replaced labels meaning you didn’t have to peer at the wall to find out what you were looking at and, second, the fact that we arrived just at the right time to join a tour by volunteer guide Finlay, a medical student, who added a lot to the experience.

Exhibition guide
Our guide, Finlay

My friend Jessica of Diverting Journeys has reviewed this exhibition concentrating largely on the anatomy exhibits, so head over there if you want to know more. I’ll restrict myself to the anatomy section I found most disturbing, the display of drawings and models contributing to Hunter’s 1774 Anatomy of the human gravid uterus. I’ve seen some of the models before – they are usually displayed vertically in the museum, but lying them on their backs as if in childbirth made them much more poignant. Who were these women? When and how did they and their unborn children die? If they had known that three centuries later we would be looking at their most intimate parts how would they feel? Troubling questions to which we’ll never know the answer.

Hunter’s book on the uterus
Drawings of dissected pregnant wombs
Casts of dissected pregnant wombs

It will, of course, not surprise you to know that I was fascinated by Hunter’s book collection. Most were difficult to photograph because of the glass cases, but here are a few examples. There were actually three copies of Newton’s Principia Mathematica on display, but I liked the one below best because it was published by the Royal Society in 1687 while Samuel Pepys, one of my historical heroes, was President and thus has his name on it.

Newton’s Principia Mathematica
14/15C Koran
Vita Christi 1490s

Even better, I note that Hunter looked after his books carefully and created both a catalogue and a list of books lent. A man after my own heart!

Hunter’s catalogue of his non-medical books
Hunter’s list of books lent

Carmunnock

Carmunnock describes itself as “the only village in Glasgow” and had two attractions for us one cold Sunday afternoon: a heritage trail round its historic centre and an excellent restaurant, Mitchell’s, where we could warm up after our short walk. The restaurant originated in 1755 as Boghead farmhouse and steadings, and became the Boghead Inn in the late 19th or early 20th century when it was also the centre for public transport in the village. Quite a lot of history to contemplate while enjoying delicious food!

Old Schoolhouse
Greenside
Castlemilk Hall
War Memorial
Former Boghead Inn
Clason Hall
Old cottages at church gate
Carmunnock Parish Church
Grave of Rev Andrew Morton 1625-91
Mitchell’s Restaurant

Sighthill Cemetery

One of John’s historical heroes now. Over the last year or so, we’ve made three visits to Sighthill Cemetery looking for a particular grave, each time armed with slightly more information. This month we found it! William John Macquorn Rankine was Professor of Civil Engineering and Mechanics at Glasgow University (where a building is named after him) from 1855 to his death in 1872, aged only 52. It’s not surprising we missed it the first twice as the gravestone has tumbled downhill and now stands on its head. 2020 is the bicentenary of Rankine’s birth, so hopefully something can be done about this before then.

Rankine’s gravestone
Rankine’s gravestone
Rankine’s gravestone

I do like a wander around an old graveyard – here are some of the other things that caught my eye over our three visits. The Martyrs’ Monument commemorates two men, John Baird and Andrew Harding, who were executed after a radical uprising in 1820.

Martyrs’ Monument
Martyrs’ Monument

Eighteen other rebels were transported to Australia, including Benjamin Moir. His brother James, a tea merchant and Glasgow councillor, has a rather fine obelisk elsewhere in the cemetery. As mentioned on the inscription, on his death he left his books and £12,000 to the Mitchell Library where I gave my talk earlier in the month – in the Moir Room!

James Moir Obelisk
James Moir Obelisk

Some of the family gravestones are a sad testament to the scourge of infant mortality.

Rigg family
Houstoun family
Young family
Thomson family

Some stones I just liked – particularly the tribute to the lady who worked for Henglers Circus for 45 years.

Henglers Circus
Angel and arch
Angel and cross
Tree-shaped memorial
Commonwealth memorials

As we left on our most recent visit, the sun was setting. A graveyard at dusk? Not spooky at all!

Roystonhill Spire captured between two tower blocks
Sunset
Sunset
Sunset
Sunset
Sunset
Sunset

The last bit

Al fresco art spotted this month includes this lovely house decorated with shells in Anstruther in Fife. And the gap site on Sauchiehall Street caused by a fire (not the Art School one – this one was earlier in the year) has been concealed by some adorable cats.

Sauchiehall Street cats
Sauchiehall Street cats

My Scottish word of the month is a Gaelic one. As I write, British politicians are still fighting like ferrets in a sack over what some of the Scottish media have started to refer to as the Brexit bùrach (boo-rach with a guttural Germanic ch sound). It means complete mess, enough said …

So I’ve almost got to the end of a post about December without mentioning Christmas and New Year! We had a lovely time at both with family and friends, as I hope you did too, and in between we visited Dunkeld for a few nights. That’s added to the list of posts I still have to write – my New Year’s Resolution is to get back to blogging regularly.

This is also the time that I look to see what have been the most popular posts written over the past year. I’m usually surprised – 2018’s top read by some way was A walk on Great Cumbrae in April, I’ve no idea why. I suspect WordPress gremlins!

Finally, my heartfelt thanks to you all for your friendship over the last year and a special mention for one who is absent. Rest in peace, Joy loves travel. You are missed.

Scotland, UK , , , , , , ,

91 Comments »

  1. Anabel, it must have been very satisfying to give your talk on Jessie and have it go so well. I always like it when I share some information that fascinates me, and it sparks other people’s interest too.

    What an interesting and varied month you have had!

    Jude

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  2. Fascinating post Anabel I always enjoy your “gallivantings”. Wonderful word “bùrach” sums the situation up perfectly what a dreadful mess it all is. We have had plenty of chats about it over here especially with our daughter over from London recently for the holidays. On a poignant note Joy will be sadly missed – she was such an avid blogger and enthusiastic member of the blogging community. Many thanks too for your blog contributions and friendly comments and wishing you all the very best for 2019 🙂

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  3. Glad your talk went well and I must say you look very much in control of your audience in that photo! Enjoyable post, as usual, full of interesting facts and features.

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  4. Glad your talk went well! I enjoyed visiting the Necropolis when I was in Glasgow, despite the giant hill, and I’d love to check out Sighthill on my next visit – it looks fabulous, though if the name is any clue, I suspect it’s also going to involve some hill walking!

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    • Thank you! Sighthill is not such a big hill as the Necropolis, but I’d recommend the Southern Necropolis as being easier to get to and with a downloadable trail (and totally flat). As we discovered, Sighthill is hopeless if you don’t know the exact location of what you are looking for.

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  6. Congratulations on your talk Anabel and thank you for all the lovely photos. I’m happy you and John finally found the missing gravestone. Time and weather do take their toll. Happy New Year from a big fan of your blog–thank you for all your posts!!

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  8. Happy New Year, Anabel! You know I am a cemetery enthusiast so that chapter of your post definitely appealed to me. I was virtual fist pumping for John when I read he had found the long sought after gravestone.

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  9. Congratulations on your talk, and I look forward to reading more about your travels in 2019! (PS: those exhibits of the women who died in childbirth would bother me, too)

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  10. Happy New Year Anabel (just a few days late on my part…)
    I really need to come to one of your talks – the Scottish suffragettes were never mentioned when I was learning about the fight for universal suffrage in History class, so I’m keen to learn about them from an expert. Are you giving any more talks/GWL walking tours in the coming months?

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    • Thank you – though I hesitate to call myself an expert! The GWL Spring Programme isn’t out till later this month so keep an eye on their website. However – sneak preview – provisionally, we have walks on Sun 14/4 (Necropolis), Sat 27/4 (Garnethill) and Sun 12/5 (Gorbals). I’m one of the guides for Garnethill and Gorbals. I’m also talking to a couple of historical groups about maybe doing my Jessie talk for them, watch this space.

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  11. Congratulations; I’m glad your talk went well. You look very professional in the photos. Love your shots of the cemetery (I wander around every one I find), and of Carmunnock.
    Your photo of the shell house reminds me that I really should check if the Bucky House in Leven still exists. It was owned by some relatives on my mum’s side and I keep promising i’ll find out for her if it’s still there.

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  15. You look great on stage, Anabel. You must have a generous portion of courage on top of all that experience. What a busy month again and very varied as well, with captivating indoor and outdoor exhibits. Cemeteries are fascinating, aren’t they?

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  16. You are a busy bee! Thanks for the round up of your month, you really should be linking these to Su’s monthly challenge. I am sure she and others would love to read about your world. I too have spent time in a graveyard recently trying to find a particular grave and I am glad to say that today I found it! Was pretty nippy out there too. And I shall look forward to your Dunkeld post(s). I rather liked that little town.

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  17. Such a shame I don’t live in Glasgow, I would have loved your talk at the Mitchell Library! And I think I’ve told you before I love to snoop around a graveyard or two!

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  18. So glad we’re friends on Facebook or I’d have missed your pics of the William Hunter exhibition and would’ve been none the wiser about this excellent (and free!) event. Like you, I’m always on the look-out for interesting places and things to do. This didn’t disappoint and was the perfect day out. Thanks and no pressure but I’ll be expecting more great recommendations for 2019!

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  19. What a busy and wonderful month you had, how on earth did you fit in Christmas and New Year?! Thank you as always for educating me, I think the Brexit bùrach sums it up nicely, I just hope one of your cute cats can unravel it all for us down south.

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  21. The best thing about last year was the way all the small details about the Suffragettes slowly crept into the media through hundreds of projects nationwide. I know many people who commented that they never realised how long they’d been campaigning, or what they went through.

    Please pass on my thanks to your group for their contribution to our knowledge.

    Happy new year, Anabel & photographer 😀

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  22. Congratulations on a very successful talk, Anabel. That is a wonderful accomplishment.
    ‘Brexit bùrach’! I absolutely love that phrase. Actually, ‘Bùrach’ could be applied to many of the situations surrounding us in the media recently.
    I like your NY’s resolution to blog more regularly. I’ve missed your posts.

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    • Thanks Donna! I agree about the universality of bùrach at the moment. Maybe things will clear in 2019 (eternal optimist, that’s me!)

      The last couple of months of 2018 just seemed to vanish in a haze and blogging got left out. However, I’ve gone back to my Hebridean Hop saga this afternoon so hope to have something new ready soon.

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  23. Congratulations on your talk. It’s a great photo and you look like you are really enjoying yourself. I guess that’s what happens when you’re well prepared and love your subject 🙂

    You had a very busy and eventful December! Best wishes for more adventures and exploring in this new year!

    btw – I love the wall decorated with all the seashells! What an interesting find!

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  24. You certainly had a varied month. I have to say my favourite street art in Glasgow ( not that I have been in forever) are those gorgeous cats. Happy New Year. X

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  25. Huge relief to find a festive free zone! Glad you had a good time. Edinburgh at Christmas was cold, grey and dreary! Hunners of hungry tourists wandering about, totally bemused that absolutely everything was closed, and that they could not get a meal anywhere. I did manage to get some decent photos but nothing inspirational, since you could not see your hand in front of your face for freezing fog. (Unintentional alliteration!) It’s funny, I always love the idea of Edinburgh, but in practice can never wait to get home to Glasgow. Now to finish off bits and pieces of my contribution to the Suffragette East walk. Lang may yer lum reek in 2019. Heaven knows where we will be this time next year x

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    • It’s quite nice to get back to normal, isn’t it? The only time we ever went abroad for Christmas we went to Florence and it was wonderful. I think the museums probably closed on Christmas Day, but we could still wander into a restaurant and order from the normal menu. I think I had pizza! We’re off to Edinburgh on Saturday to meet a friend for dinner and see the Chinese Lanterns at the zoo.

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  26. Oh..sad to hear one of your blogger friends passed away…my thoughts go to her, her family and friends. Now…congrats on giving the talk about this suffragette. I bet it was very informative and interesting. Love the pictures as always especially the graveyard and that shell House….very cool. I also always love pics of art like the pussy cats

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  27. You always have such busy and entertaining months, Anabel. I always love books in a museum, even if it is hard to photograph them. Interesting and strange about the Anatomy of the human gravid uterus. I love the cemetery, the shell-covered house, and the street art. And congratulations on your well-received speech! Happy 2019!

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  28. As always I enjoyed your posts. Interestingly, the Church Hall at St. James Parish Church is Called The Rankin Hall. I always wondered about that.

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  29. Fascinating post, very impressed with the presentation. You must know your stuff to be able to do that, brilliant. Interesting photos too.

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  31. What an extremely interesting month you have had Anabel I imagine it was quite cold wandering around the cemetery and I can understand why it was so difficult to find the gravesite when the monument was upside down.
    Happy travels for 2019

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