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History of the Sinclair Fountain Edinburgh |
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Background I've received some interesting comments about the Sinclair Fountain. Please see below. |
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1. |
Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland |
- The Sinclair Fountain was in |
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2. |
Trinity, Edinburgh |
- Moved to Queen Street |
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3. |
Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland |
- Possibly moved to Queen Street |
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4. |
Edinburgh |
- The Sinclair Monument - The Sinclair Fountain |
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5. |
Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland |
- The Sinclair Monument is NOT the same as the Sinclair Fountain |
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6. |
Meadowbank, Edinburgh |
- The Sinclair Fountain is in Storage |
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7. |
Trinity, Edinburgh |
- Stones from the Fountain |
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8. |
Swanston, Edinburgh |
- QUESTION: "Where is the remainder of the Sinclair Fountain now?" |
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Reply to 8 |
- REPLY: "Where is the remainder of the Sinclair Fountain now?" | |
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9. |
Edinburgh |
- Statue at North Charlotte Street |
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Comment 1. The Sinclair Fountain |
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Thank you to Barbara Hiddleston for telling me: Princes Street - 1859 to1926 "In the middle of this photo, used as a tramway island, is the Sinclair Fountain, erected in 1859 by Catherine Sinclair for the use of the horses that pulled the cabs, the working men and dogs. Its fate was decided at a Tramway Sub-committee Meeting, held around 17th December, 1925. The fountain was removed in early 1926." Barbara L Hiddleston, Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland: March 27, 2008 Catherine Sinclair was a novelist and philanthropist. |
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Comment 2. The Sinclair Fountain |
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Thank you to Alan Wilson who wrote: Today - Sinclair Monument "Just to let you know that the Sinclair Fountain is still in existence. It now resides at the corner of North Charlotte Street and St. Colme Street.**" Alan Wilson, Trinity, Edinburgh, March 27, 2008 |
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** No that's not the fountain. Please read the other comments below. Peter Stubbs: Edinburgh: January 6, 2014 |
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Comment 3. The Sinclair Fountain |
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Barbara Hiddleston added: "It's interesting that you have had someone say that Catherine Sinclair's memorial monument was moved. It's very confusing. 1. In a 'Scotsman' article from 1st January, 1866 reports that the design by David Bruce had been chosen with the site near the 'west end of the new town' 2. In an article written on 24th May 1899 again in the Scotsman, it is reported that in the annual report of the Council of the Cockburn Association about the proposed transfer 'to the city' of the monument erected in Miss Catherine Sinclairs memory because of vandalism by the school children (nothing new there then !) 3. At the end of the inscription on the monument, it says 'The Monument was raised by some of her many friends. The inscription, except the names and dates, was added in 1901 by her affectionate nephew Sir Tollemache Sinclair.' 4. There is a letter written to the 'Scotsman' by a Adam Smail, this time dated Oct 19th 1911. In it the writer tells about the fact that Sir Tollemache had accepted the cost of repairing and moving it to another site. But argued 'that its present situation seems quite suitable and in harmony with the surrounding buildings and gardens, with their fine old trees'. But of course it tantalizingly does not say from where to where! " So it is very possible that the monument was moved - but no firm evidence ! Barbara L Hiddleston, Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland: March 27, 2008 |
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Comment 4. The Sinclair Monument |
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In his book, 'An Edinburgh Alphabet' (Mercat Press, Edinburgh: 1980), J F Birrel writes: The Sinclair Monument "At the junction of North Charlotte Street and St Colme Street is the Sinclair Monument, erected in 1859, to Catherine Sinclair, novelist and philanthropist." The Sinclair Monument This brief comment makes no mention of the statue having been moved, but the date it gives for the statue having been erected, 1859, is the same date as the Sinclair Fountain was originally erected in Princes Street. UPDATE In fact the date quoted above from 'An Edinburgh Alphabet' appears to be incorrect. See 5. below |
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The Sinclair Fountain Incidentally, James Grant's 'Old & New Edinburgh' (Publ. Cassell, 1890) refers to the fountain in Princes Street as having been "erected in 1859 at the expense of Miss Catherine Sinclair." |
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Peter Stubbs: March 28, 2008 |
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Comment 5. The Sinclair Fountain and The Sinclair Monument |
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Barbara Hiddleston investigated further, then wrote: "I've now discovered that the fountain was NOT moved from the West End of Princes Street to to the junction of North Charlotte and St. Colme Street." |
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The Sinclair Fountain Princes Street "On May 16, 1950, Maria Steuart wrote to 'The Scotsman' newspaper: 'A year ago a question was asked about the Sinclair Fountain. Somehow or other, people got the idea it was the monument to her memory in the corner of St. Colme Street. Anyhow, nothing was done about it and the fountain has never been replaced. I believe it was last seen in a stone-mason's yard' |
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The Sinclair Monument St Colme Street "The monument to Catherine Sinclair that stands at the corner of Queen Street and St Colme Street is some 60 feet high. This wasn't erected until after her death in 1864. The following notes are based on a report in 'The Scotsman' newspaper of January 1, 1866: 'Plans by David Bryce to erect this monument have been put into the Council Chambers. John Rhind executed the monument between 1866 and 1868. The Sinclair Monument looks like a pillar from the Scott Monument, very gothic with lots of pinnacles, in the Scottish Baronial style.' Written on the base of the Sinclair Monument is:
The Monument was raised by some of her many friends. The inscription, except the name and dates, was added in 1901 by her affectionate nephew Sir Tollemache Sinclair." |
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Barbara L Hiddleston, Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland: March 27, 2008 |
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Comment 6. The Sinclair Fountain - In Storage |
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Thank you to Stuart Caie for telling me about what he had read in one of Edinburgh Council's documents Stuart wrote: "I read this today in the council's catalogue of monuments: 'The fountain was taken down and put in store. [This presumably refers to its removal from Princes Street in 1926.] Since then, no alternative site has been found and the fountain languishes in the C.E.D.C. store at Bonnington Road. It has been dismantled and split into pieces and is no longer really recognisable as a fountain.' The entry is dated December 11, 1978." Stuart Caie, Meadowbank, Edinburgh: June 11, 2008 |
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Comment 7. The Sinclair Fountain |
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Thank you to Alan Wilson, Trinity, Edinburgh, who wrote: Stones from the Fountain "I read the recent updates on the Sinclair Fountain, and the realisation that this was a completely different structure to the Sinclair Memorial in North Charlotte Street. This jogged my memory. A few years back I remember reading about the remains of a fountain being incorporated into a feature by the cycle path at Steadfastgate. In 'Edinburgh Curiosities 2' by James U. Thomson. James wrote: 'The council premises at Stanwell Street were known to hold a number of ornamental stones which had been accumulated over the years, and a decision was taken to identify the stones and compile an inventory. In the course of this work a stone was discovered bearing the inscriptions:
WATER IS NOT FOR MAN ALONE: Enough to identify the missing Catherine Sinclair drinking fountain More than sixty years have passed since the well was removed, and it has had several 'homes', but once more what has survived is on public display and can be seen on the cycleway / walkway beside Gosford Place, Leith. It was placed there in 1983, at the section named Steadfastgate, to mark the centenary of the Boys' Brigade.' I walked along yesterday morning at took the attached photographs." Alan Wilson, Trinity, Edinburgh: June 16, 2008 |
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These are the photos that Alan took of the stones from the Sinclair Fountain, now installed beside the cycle path at Steadfastgate: |
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Comment 8. Terry Cox Swanston, Edinburgh |
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Terry Cox wrote: |
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Question
Where is the Remainder of the "I know that the top part of the Sinclair fountain that once stood at the West End of Princes Street is now at Steadfastgate on the Water of Leith". (Yes. See photos in 7 above.) "Does anyone know what happened to the rest of it? Was it just 'lost'?" Terry Cox, Swanston, Edinburgh: January 12, 2011 |
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Reply to Terry? If you can help to answer Terry's question, please email me, then I'll pass on your message to him. Thank you. Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: January 16, 2011 |
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Comment 8. Reply 1. Frank Reynolds Swanston, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Frank Reynolds for replying to the question above asked by Terry Cox almost 9 years ago now. Frank wrote: |
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Reply
Where is the Remainder of the "This is a somewhat belated response to Terry Cox regarding the Sinclair Fountain. While looking for materials for a garden project I discovered that the base of the Sinclair fountain was for sale at a salvage yard 'Brick and Stone, Scotland', in Broxburn. The salvage yard's description reads:
Here is a link to the appropriate page on the Brick and Stone Scotland web site." Frank Reynolds, Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland |
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Comment 9. James Greig Edinburgh |
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Thank you to James Greig for sending me his message below, together with a photo of the tribute statue to Catherine Sinclair at North Charlotte Street, Edinburgh. James sent this message to me after reading the comments from Alan Wilson on a different page about the the Sinclair Fountain, so he was only aware of the first two messages above. The other six messages above help to give a fuller story about the Sinclair Fountain. They confirm James' comments below that the statue at that once stood near the West End of Princes Street. James wrote: |
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Catherine Sinclair Statue at North Charlotte Street "Alan Wilson, in his Comment 2 above, mentions that the Sinclair Water Fountain still exists and is at the corner of North Charlotte Street and St. Colme Street, but that' is incorrect. The monument at North Charlotte Street is, in fact, a tribute statue to Catherine Sinclair and not the original water fountain that once stood near the West End of Princes Street. Here is an image of the statue that Alan refers to. You can see the difference between the two. Tribute Statue to Catherine Sinclair
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