a scottish sundial holding secrets

A S C OT T I S H S U N D I A L
H OLDING S ECRETS
ALASTAIR HUNTER
A
STORY
OF
DISCOVERY
A sundial lady in the garden of an old
mansion house in Scotland, in 2015
Text by Andrew
Somerville, 1987
Founder Chairman of
the British Sundial
Society. Author of the
definitive study, ‘The
Ancient Sundials of
Scotland.’
"LENNOXLOVE, E. Lothian.
Octagonal head with horizontal
on top, mounted on a plinth in
the form of a lady in C18 [sic]
dress. Initials DMG (Donald
Macgilchrist) & date 1679.
Originally at North Barr,
Renfrewshire, moved early C20.
Believed to have been carved by
James Gifford of W. Linton."
Quotes from
Thomas Ross,
1890
The sundial is ... "singular and
graceful" although "droll and
quaint", "on the horizontal dial
… there occur the initials of
Donald Macgilchrist with the
date 1679.“
"Lord Blantyre, to whom North
Barr belongs, kindly allowed …
to make a photograph of the
dial for the purposes of this
paper."
Photo: RCAHMS
The North Barr
puzzle
Donald Macgilchrist (16301685) was a Glasgow
merchant.
Who made a statue of
this lady, and when
would this have been,
what was the lady’s
name?
James Gifford was a stone
carver from a country village.
The sundial period,
architecture, and artistic style,
do not all match.
The elegant lady shows high
status.
Sketches of the sundial lady at North Barr, and James
Gifford’s lady at West Linton, in the 1890s
Drawings: Thomas Ross
Photos of the
sundial lady at
Lennoxlove, and
James Gifford’s
lady at West Linton
(inset), in the
1920s
Photos: RCAHMS
The sundial at
Lennoxlove, 2009
The facetted block is
exactly in the style of a
C17th Scottish sundial,
but the dial on top is
too high to read, and
the statue does not
match the carved
foliage.
Note: major restoration
work was done in 2007.
Photo: Dennis Cowan
Two sundials
and their
architecture
The pedestal carving
matches the dial
(left). The height of
the top is correct
(inset to scale). The
North Barr &
Lennoxlove sundial is
too tall.
Drawings: Thomas Ross
History of
Lennoxlove
House
Frances Theresa
Stewart (1647-1702)
was born in France,
granddaughter of 1st
Lord Blantyre,
married Duke of
Richmond & Lennox.
C14th. Lethington Tower,
Maitland family―Earl of
Lauderdale
C18th. Lennoxlove House, Lord
Blantyre―legacy by Duchess of
Richmond & Lennox
1900. Baird family
1946. Duke of Hamilton
Places connected with this story
Map: Bowen 1769, National Library of Scotland
Frances Stuart portrait at 15 years (Sir Peter Lely, 1662) and at
coronation of Queen Anne in 1702 (wax effigy, left)
Photos: Westminster Abbey Museum & Royal Collection
A model for the
statue?
Drawings of the
statue at North Barr
by Ross in 1890, and
the wax effigy at
Westminster Abbey
by Dart in 1723, are
very alike.
Lord Blantyre at Erskine
Map: OS 1905, National Library of Scotland
Frances Teresa Stuart, Duchess of Richmond & Lennox
Remembered for her beauty and her wealth
Photos: National Portrait Gallery & National Museum of Scotland
THE END
The sundial lady who
smiles at Lennoxlove
may truly be Frances
Theresa Stewart, or
who else can she
possibly be?
Photo: Dennis Cowan