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John Soutter

 
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john burnett



Joined: 29 Jan 2007
Posts: 790
Location: Fife

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 8:40 am    Post subject: John Soutter Reply with quote

Can anyone add to this? Got sent this from a friend.
I came upon the following obit today in the Blairgowrie Advertiser for10 February 1939, p.4. The facts may be well-known although they are new to me. What strikes me is that when Soutter posed for the various war memorials his age must have been approaching 50 – rather old to be a model for most servicemen. Presumably the respective sculptors used a good deal of artistic licence.

Jim



‘Model for War Memorial Figures

John Soutter, builder and joiner, who has died in Edinburgh, was the subject of more statues than any famous statesman or soldier.

Mr Soutter was considered a splendid example of Scottish manhood. He was upstanding and idealistic and every line in his face showed deep character. He acted as a model for several of the figures in the shrine at the Scottish National War Memorial, Edinburgh, and he was the subject of the William Wallace statue at the drawbridge entrance to Edinburgh Castle.

He is reproduced in war memorials at Paisley, Dornoch, Killin, Forres and elsewhere.

Mr Soutter was 67 and lived at Dalry Road, Edinburgh. In his early days he served on a whaler.’
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jamiemcginlay



Joined: 20 Dec 2006
Posts: 930
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 8:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello John,

I believe Jock Soutter worked in Alexander Carrick's yard, or at least worked for Carrick on a regular basis. Carrick's daughter once told me that her father often used Soutter as a model as he said 'he was the big sergeant major type who could strike a pose and hold it for hours'. There is a note on Souter on the Carrick site here:
http://www.alexandercarrick.webeden.co.uk/#/forres/4516818990

Soutter was probably the principal model for Carrick's statues at Walkerburn, Blairgowrie, Kinghorn, Newburgh, Dornoch, Forres, Lochawe, Saint Margaret's Hope, Killin, Pretoria, Oban and Sir William Wallace at Edinburgh Castle! You can definitely see some resemblance in the figures of Wallace and at Blairgowrie and Walkerburn, on the others the figure doesn't have a moustache although it should be remembered Carrick might only use Soutter to get the body right and give the figure a new face to suite.

By the way I didn't know that his surname was spelled in that way, and Carrick's yard was on Dalry Road for some time.
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dhubthaigh
Our first ever 1000-poster


Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 5071
Location: Blairgowrie, Perthshire

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 9:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is there a photo/pic of Soutter? This is amazing stuff and I am obviously interested given the Blairgowrie link.
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john burnett



Joined: 29 Jan 2007
Posts: 790
Location: Fife

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 9:48 pm    Post subject: Soutter Reply with quote

Jamie - thanks for information.
Mark - sorry do not have photo/pic
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john burnett



Joined: 29 Jan 2007
Posts: 790
Location: Fife

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:34 pm    Post subject: John Soutter/Souter Reply with quote

Got this from my friend. Explains difference in surname.
"There was not a photograph. I suspect there may be a (perhaps fuller) obituary piece in the Scotsman or Evening News which might contain one. I also suspect the spelling is incorrect - I'm not sure if it was an error in the 'Blairie' or just my transcription. A comment under Forres on the internet war memorial site refers to him as 'Big Jock Souter'."
Someone with access to Scotsman or Edin Evening News may be able to assist
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