The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

spoons

Not listed on UKNIWM.

This was a sandstone covenanter statue, originally in a private house in Dumfries. The sculptor was Mr John Currie, and the statue was likely to have been created sometime between 1840 and 1865. It was moved to Dr Grierson's museum, Thornhill in May 1884.

Alas the statue is now destroyed (date not known) and all that remains is the head which has been rescued and placed in a shelter in the grounds of Dumfries Museum alongside the statues of Old Mortality and his horse by the same sculptor.

My thanks to Joanne Turner at Dumfries Museum who kindly provided the photo of the original statue and a transcript of an old newspaper article giving further information.

"Statue of a Covenanter. Thornhill Museum - figure of a Covenanter -
Dr Grierson's Museum has just been additionally enriched by a very
effective piece of statuary, cut in red sandstone, by the late Mr
John Currie, Dumfries, and which for twenty years or more adorned
the grounds of a private residence in the neighbourhood of Dumfries.
It represents a Covenanter of the Cameronian type, and the grave,
stern, resolute cast of the face, combined with the pose of the
form, bespeaks familiarity alike with both the Bible and the sword,
and a readiness to play the Martyr's part if called upon. It was
not intended by Mr Currie that the figure should individualise any
particular Covenanter, though it has sometimes, we understand, been
spoken of as intened for Richard Cameron. It certainly, however,
conveys a good idea of what we would expect the nature of the man
to be, who for conscience sake could dare openly to declare war
against the King, as Cameron did at Sanquhar, and die resolutely
"facing fearful odds" at Aird's Moss. The statue is of colossal
proportions, being seven feet in height, and a substantial pedestal
four feet high had been erected for it in the grounds of the
Museum by Mr James Cook. It was placed in position on Friday last,
under the skilful direction of Mr Dods, sculptor, Dumfries, and
with the willing assistance of a numerous body of villagers.
The task was no easy one, the statue weighing considerably over
a ton, but it was successfully and speedily accomplished. The
figure is so placed that it is displayed to great advantage.
It was greatly admired by those assembled on the occasion;
and it will be much prized in a district so full of stirring and
sacred memories of the Covenanters. Dr Grierson, in thanking those
who had assisted, said that when their children's children asked
what meant those stones, they would be told that they represented
one of the heroes of the liberty of Scotland, who had the boldness
and determination in an age of oppression to vow allegiance to the
God of Heaven rather than to the kings of earth, and whose blood
mingled with that of the martyrs.
(From the Dumfries Standard, of the 14th May 1884)"

dhubthaigh · Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 4:12 pm Post subject:

That is a very interesting piece. However, how sad is it that the statue was 'destroyed'. Dreadful.

spoons · Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 6:38 pm Post subject:

I guess that 150 years outdoors on a sandstone sculpture means that the weather must be at least a major contributor to its decline.

and I guess we are lucky that we at least have a photo.

\Spoons

stuartn · Joined: 13 Dec 2016 Posts: 2551

Thanks for this.

This is now on WMR (ex UKNIWM), memorial 71602