History Scotland Magazine

Vol.4 No.3 May /June 2004

Contents

The Bruce Monument at Bannockburn
Ian Hamilton

One of the most striking and impressive statues on public display in Scotland must be that of King Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn. This article details the work entailed in the research for, and the problems involved in the physical production of this statue. This short article is based on notes taken in discussion with the sculptor, the late Charles dOrville Pilkington Jackson, who died in 1973, and on correspondence with him towards the end of the 1960s.

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The Two Lives of Andrew Fletcher
Kenneth Fraser

Andrew Fletcher held no state office; he was a member of Parliament for just four years; he published only a few pamphlets; and his political career ended, apparently, in complete failure. Yet no history of the events leading to the Parliamentary Union of England and Scotland is complete without an assessment of the part played by Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun.

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Samplers made in Scotland
Naomi Tarrant

Samplers have been viewed in the past as charming works by infant hands, most often female. They have also been regarded as an exercise in instilling the correct religious thoughts into a childs mind as well as teaching the basic skills of embroidery. But, the author explains, samplers have a much more interesting story to reveal, reflecting the social and family history of their makers.

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From Herrings to the Atom bomb:The Legacy of the Edinburgh International Fisheries Exhibition, 1882
Geoffrey N. Swinney

Geoffrey Swinney charts a number of important developments in scientific discovery which unfolded as a result of the Edinburgh International Fisheries Exhibition. These include the establishment of the Scottish Marine Station, a research and teaching laboratory at Granton on the Firth of Forth; the building and operation of an observatory on the summit of Britains highest peak, Ben. The participation of a broad range of scientists and explorers in these projects led to further initiatives such as William Speirs Bruce leading the Scottish National Antarctic (Scotia) Expedition, 1902-1904 and the establishment of the meteorological observatory on Laurie Island in the South Orkneys. Among the scientists to visit Ben Nevis was a young Scottish physicist, Charles T R Wilson, who as a direct result of his experiments on Ben Nevis developed what was to become known as Wilsons cloud chamber which turned out to be the tool science needed to split the atom.

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Athenia: A Scottish liner in peace and war
Gordon Turner

The Second World War had just begun when news of its grim reality reached Scotland. On 3 September 1939, a German U-boat torpedoed the popular Scottish passenger liner Athenia about 250 miles west of the Hebrides on a voyage from Glasgow, Belfast and Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal. She sank the next day, with the loss of 93 passengers and 19 crew members. An American cargo ship, a Norwegian tanker, a Swedish yacht and two Royal Navy destroyers rushed to the rescue and picked up some 1,300 survivors.

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Malcolm MacDonald & the Jewish Refugees
Frank Shapiro

This article charts the colonial policy difficulties and humanitarian dilemmas that faced the newly appointed Colonial secretary, Malcolm Macdonald prior to World War II. In the years and final months leading up to the war the Nazis were quite content to allow the Jews to leave, albeit under harsh economic terms. However, for the vast majority there was nowhere to go to. The western democratic governments closed their gates to large-scale Jewish immigration.

In stark contrast to the historical consensus to-date, research now reveals that an extraordinary opportunity of salvation almost crystallized. Astonishing plans have now been uncovered which aimed at saving considerable numbers of Jews and resettling them in safety. And Malcolm MacDonald was at the forefront of these plans of deliverance.

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News features: Restoration
TheGlasgowStory.com
Dundees Textile Treasures. Caroline Brown
A visit to Grantown Museum. Liz Curtis

Archaeology - new in brief
Dating of Bronze Age Cemetery completed
Postcards recovered from First World War wreck at Scapa Flow