History of the Sinclair Fountain, Edinburgh

Background I've received some interesting comments about the Sinclair Fountain. Please see below.
1.	Barbara L Hiddleston Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland	- The Sinclair Fountain was in Princes Street - 1859 to1926
2.	Alan Wilson Trinity, Edinburgh	- Moved to Queen Street
3.	Barbara L Hiddleston Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland	- Possibly moved to Queen Street
4.	Peter Stubbs Edinburgh	- The Sinclair Monument - The Sinclair Fountain
5.	Barbara L Hiddleston Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland	- The Sinclair Monument is NOT the same as the Sinclair Fountain
6.	Stuart Caie Meadowbank, Edinburgh	- The Sinclair Fountain is in Storage
7.	Alan Wilson Trinity, Edinburgh	- Stones from the Fountain

The Sinclair Fountain

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.

The Sinclair Fountain

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

The Sinclair Monument

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

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."

Peter Stubbs: March 28, 2008

The Sinclair Fountain and The Sinclair Monument

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."

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'

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:

'Catherine Sinclair
b. 17 April 1800, died 6th August 1864.

She was the friend of all children and through her book ‘Holiday House’ speaks to them still. Beside success through her books many and popular, she endeared herself first in her philanthropic work.

Her Volunteer Brigade for the boys of Leith was the first of its kind. She initiated cooking depots for working men and erected the first drinking fountain in Edinburgh. Her hall for lectures and her work amongst the cabmen endeared her name to different sections of her fellow citizens.

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."

Barbara L Hiddleston, Dunnet, Caithness, Scotland: March 27, 2008

The Sinclair Fountain - In Storage

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

The Sinclair Fountain

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:
A BLESSING (UP)ON THE GIVER:
DRINK AND BE THANKFUL.

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

These are the photos that Alan took of the stones from the Sinclair Fountain, now installed beside the cycle path at Steadfastgate: