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Auchtermuchty War Memorial

 

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After the War Reginald Fairlie returned to his architectural practice at Randolph Place. He designed War Memorials at Moffat, 1919, and Auchtermuchty, Bendochy, Blairgowrie, Monzievaird and North Berwick, in 1920. He designed the Northfield Housing Estate in Edinburgh, and a housing scheme at Moffat. Reginald Fairlie concentrated on country house and church design. In 1925 he moved to 7 Ainslie Place, Edinburgh, where he was looked after by a gentleman's gentleman, Robertson, from Leith. His neighbour was the painter Francis Cadell, with whom he shared a love of Iona. He was made Honorary LLD by St Andrews University for his work on restoring St Salvator's Chapel. Reginald Fairlie's last major work - delayed by he Second World War - was the designing and building of the National Library of Scotland on George IV Bridge, Edinburgh. He died in 1952 and was buried at St Andrews, where Huw Lorimer carved a memorial.

The Auchtermuchty War Memorial takes the form of a tall freestone shrine. It features a carved half-scale sculpture of a soldier, with head bowed and arms reversed, set in an arched niche at the front.

The names of the dead are carved into the remaining three sides of the monument and there are carved Regimental badges around the top.

 

The Memorial was designed by Reginald Fairlie, architect, of Myres Castle, Auchtermuchty, and 14 Randolph Place, Edinburgh, in December 1919, in collaboration with Edinburgh sculptor Alexander Carrick. Reginald Fairlie had served in the War and his brother, Captain John Fairlie, had been killed in the War.

 

The architect, Reginald Francis Joseph Fairlie, 1883-1952, was the second son of James Ogilvy Fairlie of Myres Castle, Auchtermuchty. He was articled to Robert Lorimer but left to study in England, France and Italy. In 1908 he set up his own practice at 14 Randolph Place, Edinburgh. Under the patronage of the Marquess of Bute, he designed Roman Catholic Chapels at St Andrews and Troon, and the choir of the Abbey Church at Fort Augustus. In 1913 Reginald Fairlie made tactful additions to Inverailort, Inverness-shire, and built Kilmany, Fife, in the Cape Dutch idiom. In 1914 he was called up for service and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers, serving in France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reginald Fairlie's elder brother was killed in action on 25 September 1915 and his father died on 28 September 1916. Reginald Fairlie became heir of Myres Castle but never lived there. After the death of his mother in 1931, he gave the Castle to his younger brother James Ogilvy Fairlie. On the death of James Ogilvy Fairlie, the Castle passed to his son  Captain David Ogilvy Fairlie, MBE, DL, JP, born 1923. Captain David Fairlie sold Myres Castle in 1999 nad died in 2013.

 

The sculptor Alexander Carrick served for three years in the Royal Garrison Artillery in a battery of heavy 8 inch howitzers. He witnessed at first hand the horrors of the Great War. Carrick was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy while he was still in the trenches. Once home he lost little time in re-establishing his Edinburgh yard in Distillery Lane, behind Haymarket Station. He quickly received his first commission to execute a War Memorial for Lochawe at the entrance to Saint Conan's Kirk.

 

The Auchtermuchty Monument was made by local monumental sculptor  Marshall Meek, of Balgay Cottage. Low Road, Auchtermuchty, and his son, also Marshall Meek.

The Cross, Auchtermuchty, looking north, left, about 1910. It shows the stone "Cross" on the ground, and a butcher's shop on the left.

The Cross, Auchtermcuhty, looking south, right, after the War Memorial had been built in 1920. The butcher's shop is on the right.

The unveiling of the Auchtermuchty War Memorial in 1920. Left, the singing of the Te Deum Laudamus. Centre, the figure of the mourning soldier, with reversed bronze rifle, carved by Alexander Carrick.  Right, the unveiling of the War Memorial.

The three faces of the War Memorial show the names of those who died, with the Regiments in which they served.

The names of those who died in the Second World War were added in 1946.

Alexander Carrick, sculptor

 

The figure for the War Memorial was carved by Alexander Carrick, Edinburgh. He had served in the Royal Garrison Artillery in the War. Once home he lost little time in re-establishing his Edinburgh yard in Distillery Lane, behind Haymarket Station. He quickly received his first commission to execute a war memorial for Lochawe at the entrance to Saint Conan's Kirk. He also carved figures for the War Memorials at Killin, Oban, and St Margaret;'s Hope, Orkney. In Fife he carved the figures for the War Memorials at Kinghorn and Newburgh.

Marshall Meek, Monumental Sculptor

 

The stonework for the Auchtermuchty War Memorial was carved and built by Marshall Meek, monumental sculptor of Balgay Cottage, Low Road, Auchtermuchty.

Born in Dundee, in 1849, he married Margaret Maxwell Gray, of Auchtermuchty, on 25 April 1884 in Dundee.

In 1911 Marshall Meek, monumental sculptor, was living at Fountain View, Balgay Road, Dundee, with his wife and son, also Marshall Meek, and also a monumental sculptor, aged 26. A second son, James Meek, had been born at Annfield Road, Dundee in 1886.

 

James Meek had emigrated to New Zealand. On 17 April 1915 he embarked with Field Engineers in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, for Suez, Egypt, and Gallipoli. He also served in the Western front in France.

 

After the War Marshall Meek, with his wife and son, moved to Low Road, Auchtermuchty, and called their house Balgay Cottage.

 

Margaret Gray Meek died in 1921 and Marshall Meek died in 1955.

 

Marshall Meek, junior's son, also Marshall Meek, was a distinguished Naval Architect, and lived in Morpeth, Northumberland.

Dr Marshall Meek, CBE, RDI, BSC, RFEng, FRINA, FIMarEST, was President of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, 1990-93. He died in 2013.

The Auchtermuchty War Memorial was designed by Reginald Fairlie, Myres Castle, Auchtermuchty, and Edinburgh. The figure was carved by Alexander Carrick, Edinburgh, and has a bronze rifle. The stone work was completed by Marshall Meek, senior and junior, Monumental Sculptors, Balgay Cottgage, Low Road, Auchtermuchty.

The figure of the mourning soldier in the stone mason's yard.

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