Edinburgh, 36 St Andrew Square, Dundas House, Hopetoun Monument

No. 127 (part).

In the forecourt stands a monument erected in 1834 to the memory of Sir John Hope, fourth Earl of Hopetoun, a hero of the Peninsular War who died in 1823. He had served as Governor of the Bank during the last three years of his life. The monument takes the form of a bronze equestrian statue of the Earl by Thomas Campbell, a local sculptor. The inscriptions on the pedestal, in Latin on the E. side and in English on the W., were composed by Sir Walter Scott.

RCAHMS 1951, visited c.1941

The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.

The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.

Bronze statue of the 4th Earl of Hopetoun 'in Roman costume leaning on a pawing charger' (1.). The 4th Earl has a sword in his left hand and rests his right hand, holding the horse's reins, on the horse's withers. The horse has its head down and its off hind hoof raised. At each end of the pedestal (N + S) is a coat of arms within a wreath - a shield decorated with a chevron (centre), 2 circles (top) and 1 circle (bottom). Above the shield is a crown.

Sir John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun, colonel of the 92nd Gordon Highlanders. Succeeded to the command of the British army after the death of Sir John Moore at Corunna.

Inspected By : T.S

Inscriptions : On W. face of pedestal, in raised letters ;

TO

JOHN, FOURTH EARL OF HOPETOUN,

ERECTED BY THE GRATITUDE OF HIS COUNTRYMEN,

WHO LOVED AND REVERENCED IN HIS PERSON THE ASSEMBLED VIRTUES

OF DISTANT PERIODS OF HISTORY,

THE UNSHAKEN PATRIOTISM OF THE ANCIENT ROMAN,

THE SPIRIT OF HONOUR, AND GENTLENESS, AND COURTESY

PROPER TO THE AGE OF CHIVALRY,

TOGETHER WITH SKILL IN THE ART OF WAR,

WORTHY OF THE COMPANION OF

ABERCROMIE, MOORE AND WELLINGTON.

On E. side of the pedestal, in raised letters:

MEMORIAE SACRUM

JOANNIS COMITIS DE HOPETOUN QUARTI

IN QUO UNO ENITUERUNT DIVERSISSIMORUM TEMPORUM VIRTUTES

MIRABILITER CONIUNCTAE

UT NEQUE PRISCUM CIVEM ROMANUM AMOR PATRIAE ET CONSTANTIA

NEQUE NOBILEM INFERIORIS AEVI MILITEM

MORUM COMITAS ET GRATIA ET INTEMERATA FIDES

MAGIS DISTINGUERENT

NEQUE DEESSET PORRO EGREGIA BELLICAE ARTIS NOSTRE PERITIA

WELLINGTON COMMILITONE AC SOCIO HAUD INDIGNA

VIRUM TOT NOMINIBUS CARUM SCOTI SUI

DESIDERIO AC REVERENTIA PROSEQUENTES

M.P.C.

Signatures : At bottom of W. side of pedestal in incised letters:

THOS. CAMPBELL / SCULPT.

Design period : 1824-1829

Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN1376)