The Scottish War Memorials Project

spoons · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:56 pm Post subject: Castle Douglas High School

Not listed on UKNIWM.

I am not sure of the exact name of this former school. The memorial stands in its original location in the original school building on Cotton Street in Castle Douglas at OS Map Ref NX 766 625. The building is now the Castle Douglas Community Centre but the outside proclaims it to be "KELTON SCHOOL BOARD HIGHER GRADE SCHOOL". The present Castle Douglas High School is about half a mile away and is a much more recent building.

I apologise for the shocking reflections in the picture, I will have to return with a better camera on a day with no sun. The memorial is upstairs in the hall and the door alongside gives some idea of the scale. I have not found any list of names or roll of honour associated with this memorial. Around the top of the memorial is a curtain rail so it was obviously screened off at some period.

The memorial is inscribed 'The Great War 1914 1919' and at the bottom 'their name liveth for evermore'. 'Forward' is the motto of Castle Douglas.

I believe the artist to be Robina Tittle originally from Westfield, Linlithgow.

Robina Tittle (born March 1887) was a student at the Trustees Academy School of Art from 1905 before joining the Edinburgh College of Art as one of its first students in October 1908. She was awarded a Minor Travelling Bursary of £15 in the 1911-1912 session and was awarded a diploma in drawing and Painting at the end of the 1913-1914 session.

Can anyone identify the subject of the painting?

Adam Brown · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:36 pm Post subject: Re: Castle Douglas High School

spoons · Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:02 pm Post subject:

could be, but I've never seen her without sword and shield

\Paul

spoons · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 1:12 pm Post subject:

I managed to get a better picture and you can see that there is a sword and laurel wreath rather than sword and shield so that would make the lady 'winged victory' I believe.

Martin A. Forrest · Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Posts: 1 Location: Duns, Berwickshire

Robina Tittle was my great, great aunt. She originally came from Musselburgh but by the time she was teaching she lived in Prestwick. She may have given Westfield as an address at some point as some of the family lived there.

She was the much loved art teacher at the school for a number of years. She was friendly with Jessie M. King, Cecile Walton, Robert Burns, E. A. Taylor and others who were either visitors to or based in nearby Kirkcudbright. She used to put on an annual pageant at Castle Douglas designing costumes for her school pupils in much the same way as J.M. King did in Kirkcudbright. She also designed and carried out a painted war memorial for Dunoon Grammar School.

The figure represents both victory with the laurel wreath and peace with the downturned sword. There are other obvious symbols like the heart. I think 'Forward' was the school motto.

spoons · Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:02 pm Post subject:

Thanks very much for adding this important information.

Do you by chance know if there was ever a roll of names associated with this memorial?

Forward may well be the school motto but more importantly it is the motto of Castle Douglas. Interesting about Jessie M King as she also did an excellent watercolour Roll of Honour for New Galloway at the end of WW2.

\Paul