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Castle Douglas High School

 
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:56 pm    Post subject: Castle Douglas High School Reply with quote

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?







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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Castle Douglas High School Reply with quote

spoons wrote:
Can anyone identify the subject of the painting?


Is it Britannia?

Adam
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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

\Paul
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.

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Martin A. Forrest



Joined: 02 Jun 2009
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Location: Duns, Berwickshire

PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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.
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This memorial was unveiled by Major C R Dudgeon (chairman of the Education Authority of the Stewartry and son of the Lord Lieutenant) on Sunday 11 June 1922. Lengthy reports were published in the Dumfries and Galloway standard on 14th June 1922 (page 3) and the Galloway News on 16th June 1922 (page 5) which also has a photo.

The report names the character as 'Justice' and describes much of the symbolism of the painting. A list of former pupils who had laid down their lives was read out (not listed in article) and there was a statement 'unfortunately the list was very incomplete in spite of the efforts of Mr Deans and his committee to make up a complete list.'

The memorial was acccepted into the custody of the Education Authority of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.

The article makes no reference to the school's Roll of Honour which is the subject of a separate posting and has been missing for some years.

\Paul
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The memorial is 12 feet high and 6 feet 9 inches wide.

The memorial is in need of cleaning and some restoration. I have made a short video clip of the memorial specifically to show the current condition.

http://youtu.be/9AEDVxjOSuE

If anyone has any comments about the video, please let me know and do you think that videos are something you would like to see in future on the forum?

\Paul
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dhubthaigh
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I enjoyed the short clip. Some video footage...........food for thought.
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Kenneth Morrison



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have some reservations about the use of video when still photographs can convey the image as well or better but in a case like this the video does add both to the context and to the detail.
I look forward to the sequel. Smile l
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Ken
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kenneth Morrison wrote:
I have some reservations about the use of video when still photographs can convey the image as well or better but in a case like this the video does add both to the context and to the detail.
I look forward to the sequel. Smile l


I see your point and I would never want to see video used instead of photos, but as an addition it might be useful at times. You never know, we might pick up a new member or two from youtube.

\Paul
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stuartn



Joined: 13 Dec 2016
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is now WMR, ex UKNIWM, memorial 71838.

The Dunoon school memorial is not on the WMR, or on this forum (unless it is the elaborate ROH which Robina Tittle created), so there is nothing I can do to amend/update/create that record.
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