The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

john burnett · Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 790 Location: Fife

Situated within Mansfield Church, now Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh.
UKNIWM not on.

Name: MAXWELL, AYMER EDWARD
Initials: A E
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Regiment/Service: Royal Marines
Unit Text: Temporarily commissioned to
Secondary Regiment: Lovat Scouts
Secondary Unit Text: (late Grenadier Guards), Cdg. Collingwood Bn. R.N. Div., Captain 1st
Age: 36
Date of Death: 09/10/1914
Additional information: Son of the Rt. Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, 7th Bart., of Monreith, Wigtownshire, and Lady Maxwell; husband of Lady Mary Maxwell, of House of Elrig, Portwilliam, Wigtownshire. Served in the South African Campaign with Grenadier Guards.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot IIa, 69.
Cemetery: SCHOONSELHOF CEMETERY

The wording on the scroll says there were 16 members of the "Flock", besides the above, who were killed in WW1. I do not know who or where the rest are.

Adam Brown · Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 11:29 am Post subject:

John

I'm surprised about this roll of honour still being in this church building. The Catholic Apostolic Church closed its doors in Edinburgh in the 50s or 60s once numbers dwindled. It was a bit of a sect. The church furniture was sold to other churches and it ended up as a builders store.

The only thing which saved it were the stunning Traquair murals which are well worth seeing when this building is open on open days throughout the year.

I pass this church at least twice a day but I've never checked for memorials because it was disused as a church for so long I never thought anything from its previous life survived.

Now we have a date it might just be possible to find something about the other sixteen IF any of the church's paperwork survives in an archive somehwere.

I'm also surprised to see Lt Col Maxwell's name turning up here. He crops up on several memorials in Dumfries & Galloway but he must have had some Edinburgh connection too.

Do a search here on the forum on 'Aymer' and see where else he is commemorated.

Thanks

Adam

john burnett · Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 790 Location: Fife

Adam,
Although living in Fife now, I passed this church on way to my Edinburgh dentist and seeing it was open asked about War Memorials. The receptionist said it was now offices and a reception venue and did not think there were memorials in the building. However I spotted this one at the side of the front door.

Would love to know who the others, of the 16, were.
The dates when the murals are on display are 13/3; 13/3; 10/4; 15/5; 12/6; 10/7. It may be the "guide" has information.

Adam Brown · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:17 am Post subject:

A complete off-topic post but Aymer Maxwell was Gavin "Ring of Bright Water" Maxwell's father.

It may or may not help. If Gavin Maxwell wrote about his father at all it might help explain why he had a scroll in a church belonging to a sect.

Thanks

Adam

john burnett · Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 790 Location: Fife

Below is reply from The Secretary of the Mansfield Traquair Trust.
"Thank you for your enquiry. Unfortunately, we cannot help you with your
enquiry about the other 15 members of the Catholic Apostolic Church in
Edinburgh who get such a brief mention on the scroll. The baptismal
roll for the CAC is in the Scottish Archives, but, to our knowledge, not
the death roll. There are no burials at the church.

We can, however, confirm that Aymer Edward Maxwell was the father of
Gavin Maxwell."