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Field Visit
Date 24 June 2009
Event ID 612490
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/612490
Monumental pillar displaying different types of stone surface finishes, with the lower band of panels and coats of arms in red sandstone. The upper band in red sandstone has coats of arms on all eight sides. A unicorn sejant holding the city of Edinburgh shield and a vertical flagstaff is on the top of the pillar.
The names of the quarries and mason's marks are engraved in the stone blocks. From top to bottom the stones are: Corsehill (red), Hailes, Dunmore, [red], Woodburn, Hermand, Plean, Cragg, Cocklaw, Plean, Gatelaw Bridge (red), Dunmore, Whitsome Newton, Plean, Parkhead, Leoch, Polmaise and Gatelaw Bridge.
In the Edinburgh Town Council Minutes of 1886-87 it is recorded on 4 January 1887, that on a letter from the Edinburgh and Leith Master Builders' Association the custody and care of the Masons' Pillars was undertaken by the Town Council.
Inscriptions : On lower band of alternating coats of arms and panels, from road side clockwise (incised letters): LEITH, and on coat of arms (raised letters): SIGILLUM [OPPIDI] DE LEITH (top) and PERSEVERE / 1563 (bottom) // RIGHT HON. / THOMAS CLARK / LORD PROVOST / OF THE CITY // DUMBARTON, and on coat of arms (raised letters): FORTITUDO ET FIDELITAS // JAMES GOWANS / LORD / DEAN OF GUILD / ARCHITECT // JEDBURGH // EDINBURGH / INTERNATIONAL / EXHIBITION / 1886 // EDINBURGH / MASTER / MASONS / MEMORIAL / PILLAR
Down the side of the pillar on which is the Dumbarton coat of arms, are the names of the different stones of which the pillar is made. From top to bottom (incised letters): HAILES / WOODBURN / HERMAND / PLEAN / CRAGG / COCKLAW / PLEAN / GATELAW BRIDGE / DUNMORE / WHITSOME-NEWTON / PLEAN / PARKHEAD / LEOCH / POLMAISE / GATELAW BRIDGE
Above the coats of arms at the top of the pillar, from road side clockwise (incised letters): ABERDEEN / ST ANDREWS / ENGLAND / STIRLING / DUNDEE / PERTH / SCOTLAND / AYR
On Edinburgh arms held by unicorn (raised letters): NISI DOMINUS / FRUSTRA
Signatures : [Masons'marks]
Design period : 1886
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0151)
