Buildings - Royal Scots Grays Statue - in Princes Street Gardens, opposite Frederick Street

Royal Scots Greys Statue

Background and Comments

This statue is beside Princes Street in West Princes Street Gardens, opposite the junction with Frederick Street.

It commemorates the Royal Scots Greys who left Edinburgh in 1899 to fight in the South African War. It was unveiled by Lord Rosebery on 16 November 1906

Several people have contacted me telling me that their ancestors were models for this statue. See below - in particular, 'Comment 5' below.

Comments
1	Claire Connelly	The Model - Anthony James Hinnigan
2	Liam Harkin Jedburgh, Borders, Scotland	The Model - Anthony James Hinnigan
3	Richard Minto Solihull, West Midlands, England	The Model - Anthony James Hinnigan DoB
4	Paul Vile London	The Model - George Stephen 'Doddy' Vile
5	Nick Alexander Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia	The Model - Robert McIntosh Alexander
6	Kevin Dodd London	The Model - Frank Dodd
7	Fiona Sleightholm Hest Bank, Lancashire, England	The Model - Anthony Hinnigan
8	Fiona Sleightholm Hest Bank, Lancashire, England	Relatives
9	Nick Alexander Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia	The Model - Robert M Alexander Evidence
10	Christina Fielder Canada	The Model - Frank Dodd Photo ©
11	Andrew Robertson	The Model - Robert McIntosh Alexander
12	Nick Alexander Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia	The Model - Robert M Alexander Photo ©

Comment 1.

Models for the Statue

Thank you to Claire Connelly for sending me an email in November 2004, telling me:

Anthony James Hinnigan and Polly

"My great grandfather and his horse were the models for this statue. His name was Anthony James Hinnigan.

I can't remember the name of his horse; was it Polly?"

Claire Connelly: November 2004

Comment 2.

Models for the Statue

Thank you to Liam Harkin, Jedburgh, Scotland for an email in January 2005 giving the following additional information about the models for the statue:

Anthony James Hinnigan and Polly

"I can confirm that Sergeant-Major Anthony James Hinnigan and his horse Polly were the models for the Scots Greys Memorial, sculpted by Mr Birnie Rhind in 1906.

Anthony James Hinnigan was born in Jedburgh in 1866 and in 1882, at the age of 16, he joined the Royal Scots Greys. For the next 17 years he served with the Greys on home duty but in September 1899, by now with the rank of Sergeant-Major, he went with the Greys to South Africa when they were mobilized for service in the Second Boer War.

On his return from South Africa in 1904 Sergeant-Major Hinnigan and his horse Polly were selected as the models for Rhind's Memorial.

Sergeant-Major Hinnigan was discharged from the army in 1911 and became mine host at the Railway Inn at Irvine in Ayrshire."

Liam Harkin, Jedburgh, Borders, Scotland: January 10, 2005

Comment 3.

Model for the Statue

Thank you to Richard Minto, Solihull, for contacting me concerning the dates above.

If I discover anything further, I'll update this page again. Meanwhile, here is Richard's message to me.

Richard wrote:

Anthony James Hinnigan

"My wife is a great niece of Anthony Hinnigan. She tells him that the date of birth of Anthony Hinnigan and other dates mentioned above are not correct. Anthony Hinnigan was actually born on May 24, 1872."

Richard Minto, Solihull, West Midlands, England: October 3, 2006.

Comment 4.

Model for the Statue

Thank you to Paul Vile, London who wrote:

George Stephen 'Doddy' Vile

"I believe there may have been more than one model for this statue. I was brought up in the belief that my Great-grandfather, George Stephen 'Doddy' Vile, was also a model for this statue.

He was a drum major and retired from the Regiment just before the first world war, only to rejoin when the war broke out."

Paul Vile, London: May 14, 2008

Comment 5.

Model for the Statue

There appears to be more controversy than I had expected over who was the model for this statue:

I've now received two emails from Nick Alexander, Melbourne, Australia.

Nick wrote:

Robert McIntosh Alexander

"It was my Grandfather, Robert McIntosh Alexander, Royal Scots Greys Regiment, who was the model for this statue. This has been well proven.

You can find out the correct history of the model of the statue by checking with Edinburgh Castle records. I thought this was resolved over 20 years ago.

I have the original coloured in black and white photographs used by the sculptor, which is not my grandfather's Army Horse, but a special horse for standing for long periods very still.

I have the paperwork and correspondence from the sculptor to my grandfather discussing his saddler blanket and other chattels which my grandfather had left at Bernie Rhind's rooms.

My auntie (the model's daughter, now deceased) took this paperwork to the Castle many years ago to stop the people who claim (without offering proof) their heritage."

Nick Alexander, Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: June 3, 2008

The Sculptor

Matt Jarrett sent me an email today, telling me that he was interested to read Nicholas Alexander's comments above.

Matt Jarrett is the great, great grandson of the sculptor, Bernie Rhind

Peter Stubbs: July 11, 2008

Comment 6.

Model for the Statue

The story becomes more complicated! Despite Nicolas Alexander's claim to have the original paperwork and correspondence from the sculptor to back up his claim that his grandfather was the model for the statue ( 5 above), I'm still receiving more emails on this topic.

Kevin Dodd, London, wrote:

Frank Dodd

"I was very interested to read the comments from Nicolas Alexander, Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (5 above). I was very surprised to see that there were several 'claimants' to the story of who was the model for this statue.

I have my own claim which comes to me from my Grandmother who was married to Frank Dodd jnr. who was the colonel of the home regiment for the Scots Greys. Frank's father, also Frank Dodd was my great grandfather. (His name can be found on the memorial as well.)

The story that I have is that it was in fact my great grandfather who modelled the statue, BUT in body only, he was a young well built man. They did however use the head of an older, more mature looking soldier. That's the story I have grown up with, my whole life. Is this incorrect/

I'm told that my great grandfather was also used to model cigarettes by the army, so I had no reason to believe otherwise.

If this is true, being that 90% of the statue is made up of my great grandfathers body and only 10% made up of someone else's head then my great grandfather should get the credit for being the model."

Kevin Dodd, London: September 5, 2008

Conflicting Stories

I'll not complicate matters by suggesting who might be right or wrong on this topic.

I'll just quote the comments that I've received in emails about the statue and leave others to draw their own conclusions.

Peter Stubbs: September 5, 2008

Comment 7.

Model for the Statue

Fiona Sleightholm wrote:

Anthony Hinnigan

"I'm looking for some information on the Royal Scots Grey statue. Do you know who the soldier who posed for the sculpture?

As a child my Gran would tell me it was her Uncle Anthony Hinnigan, her Father's brother. I found some info in a small booklet 'Further Recollections, Life in the village of Newstead at the turn of the Century' by Willie Alchin.

He mentions in the book that the rider on the statue is a Jedburgh-born man named Anthony Hinnigan."

Fiona Sleightholm, Hest Bank, Lancashire, England: March 19+20, 2009

I don't have a definite answer to Fiona's question, but will leave her to read the comments on this page and reach her own conclusions.

Peter Stubbs: March 19, 2009

Comment 8.

Model for the Statue

Thank you to Fiona Sleightholm who wrote again telling me about the progress she had made in trying to discover more about who the soldier was who posed for the Royal Scots Greys statue.

Fiona wrote:

Relatives

"I emailed you a while ago about the Royal Greys statue on Princess Street, asking you if you knew who the soldier was who posed for the sculptor. My Gran said it was her Uncle Anthony James Hinnigan.

You gave me some e-mail addresses of people that said it was their relative too. I contacted them.

It's been great finding third cousins etc. From trying to find out who the soldier was, I've found relatives I didn't know. That has been wonderful, especially as I was brought up as an only child and so was my Mum"

Fiona Sleightholm, Hest Bank, Lancashire, England: October 17, 2009

Comment 9.

Model for the Statue

Thank you to Nick Alexander who wrote again, following up his comments in 5 above.

Nick believes there is no doubt that the model for this statue was his grandfather, Robert McIntosh Alexander.

Nicolas wrote:

Robert McIntosh Alexander

Evidence

"I forwarded documentary proof of the origin of this statue to Matt Jarrett, great-great-grandson of the sculptor, Bernie Rhind, over a year ago. Anybody can check with Bernie.

Or they can check with Edinburgh Castle where I have now lodged correspondence and paperwork about the origins of this statue.

My grandfather was chosen as the model because he was the youngest man alive to return."

Nick Alexander, Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: April 21, 2010

Comment 10.

Model for the Statue

Thank you to Christina Fielder, living in Canada, for responding to the comment (6 above) from Kevin Dodd of London

Christina says that Kevin must be a distant relation, but her family has not been in touch with him.

Christina wrote

Frank Dodd

"My great grandmother was named Agnes Dodd. She was born in Edinburgh & her brother, Francis (Frank) Dodd, was a member of the Royal Scots Greys. Sadly, he was killed in World War I & is buried in Orleans, France.

My grandmother used to tell the same story as Kevin tells, which she heard from her mother Agnes, that the statue in Princes Street Gardens was modelled on Frank Dodd's body, though not his face.

Here is a photo of Frank Dodd which was in my grandmother's possession"

Christina Fielder, Canada: January 24, 2011

Comment 11.

Model for the Statue

Thank you to Andrew Robertson who wrote:

Robert McIntosh Alexander

"I am a rather late entrant into the debate as to who was the model for the Royal Scots Memorial in Princess Street Edinburgh. However my knowledge and understanding certainly supports Nicolas Alexander’s submissions. (See Comments 5 + 9 above).

When I was a small boy living in Dunfermline circa 1950 a Mrs Alexander who was a widow and an older lady, and her daughter Rena moved into a flat above my parents' home in Forth Street, Dunfermline. I clearly recall my mother saying that Mrs Alexander had explained to her that her late husband, Colonel Alexander, was the model for the memorial statue in Princess Street, Edinburgh. Surely there would be no motive for a widow to make such a claim if it were not true.

I have to assume that Nicolas’ aunt was Mrs Alexander’s daughter Rena. I recall very little else save that Rena was a mature woman working as restaurant manager/supervisor in one of the busy Princess Street restaurants of the day. In the 1950s this was regarded as a responsible position to hold. It could have been Binns, Jenners or Forsyths I do not know.

I suppose that as a small boy my lasting impression was that I knew the name of the man on that horse!"

Andrew Robertson: February 2, 2011

Comment 12.

Model for the Statue

Thank you to Nick Alexander for sending a photograph in support of his claim that the model for the statue was his grandfather, Robert McIntosh Alexander.

Nick wrote:

Robert McIntosh Alexander

Photo

"Here is the original coloured black+white photo used by the sculptor of the statue, Bernie Rhind.

This photo hangs on my study wall."

Nick Alexander, Kew, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: February 10, 2011

Reply to Nick?

If you'd like to contact Nick, or Mary Wilson (a grand-daughter of Robert McIntosh Alexander) whom Nick knows, please email me, then I'll pass on contact details to you.

Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: February 10, 2011