Around Edinburgh - 49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade photograph

49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade

1907

Question

This photograph of the 49th Edinburgh Boys Brigade was taken in 1907.

Do you recognise the buildings in the background? If so, can you please email me? Thank you.

[September 2004]

Answer

Phil Wilson

Aberdeen

Thank you to Phil WIlson (Aberdeen) for telling me that he has enlarged the photograph above and believes that behind the low building, he sees the replica of 'Cleopatra's Needle' in Waterloo Place

At the extreme right of the picture I see what appears to be the silhouette of the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill.

With this information, Phil has consulted old maps and concludes that the photo is likely to have been taken near Calton Hill "in the Public Gardens just next to Abbeymount, or somewhere around there".

This is not far from where the 49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade troop would have been based in the Canongate.

Phil Wilson, Aberdeen: March 2005

Answer

Archie Young

Moredun, Edinburgh

Many thanks to Archie Young who wrote:

Lasswade

"I can confirm this view is looking towards the old cemetery at Lasswade. Where the boys are seated a new church was built, but it has now gone.

William Drummond Memorial

The building on the right of the photo at the top of this page is the William Drummond of Hawthornden Memorial. Above it, is the original cross from a Medieval Hospital that stood near the grounds. Here is a recent photo that I took of the memorial:

Eldin Aisle

The building on the left, covered in Ivy, is part of the original church built around the mid 13th century called St. Edwin's. Today it is known as the Eldin Aisle. Here is a recent photo that I took of the Eldin Aisle

Archie Young, Moredun, Edinburgh: March 14+15, 2009

Answer

Oonagh O'Brien

Thank you to Oonagh O'Brien who wrote:

Lasswade

"I've just noticed the picture above, of the Boys' Brigade outing near Lasswade Cemetery, that you asked a question about in 2004.

Droman House

"This is rather a late addition to the previous answer. However, I can be even clearer about the location as it is in the garden of my family's house where I grew up!

My mothers currently owns the house. It's the old manse in Lasswade, now called Droman House. (It can be seen on google maps.)

We have lived there for a very happy 46 years but have just sold it and my mother will move out in September to a smaller more practical house!

The hedge in the background is now very high and there is a greenhouse where my father grew wonderful tomatoes. How interesting that these outings were in the garden of the manse. Is it a family picture? I am trying to gather some history of the house before we leave it."

Oonagh O'Brien: April 27, 2013

Oonagh

Hi Oonagh: In fact this photo comes from a collection held in the Leith Boys' Brigade Headquarters, rather than from a family collection.

Unfortunately, neither the current owner of this photo nor I can tell you anything about this outing or about the house. I hope you will be able to discover more about the house from other sources.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: April 20, 2013

49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade

Here are more photos from the same period

More Photos

It's good to have one photo location identified (above) but I'm still trying to find the location of another 49th Edinburgh Boys' Brigade photo from the same period. Might this also have been taken somewhere in or around Lasswade?

It's the second photo below with the boys standing in front of the large gates. Please click on this photo to enlarge it, and email me if you can suggest where it might have been taken.

Boys' Brigade Bugler

Boys' Brigade 1905-06