The Grange Newsletter
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Grange Newsletter Grange Association September 2019 ISSUE No. 125 Page 5 story Fun at the Grange Fair www.grangeassociation.org Registered Scottish Charity SC025491 The Grange Newsletter I September 2019 That’s another Festival season over but, if you still have space for a little more music, read about Tom Cunningham, composer, in the middle pages of this issue. The Grange seems to abound in talented people. Let us know of anyone you think would be an interesting subject for a future edition. Grange Cemetery features in two pieces; our ever-popular nature writer, Tom Breheny, highlights encounters with otters; another successful Grange Fair is described; and butterflies abound in the gardening section. Don’t forget to check out forthcoming talks, detailed on the back page. The Grange Association welcomes Neil Robb, co-opted to the committee to share his expertise on web-related matters. He has already started to assess how to make our online presence more effective. Jenny Dawe, Editor Contents GRANGE ASSOCIATION CONTACTS History & Heritage David Masson, Scottish Nigel Ayton (662 8720) Chair & Planning/MSCC Liaison academic 2 South Lauder Road, EH9 2LL [email protected] [email protected] Astley Ainslie update Jenny Dawe (447 1296) Vice Chair & Newsletter Page 3 1 Strathearn Road, EH9 2AH [email protected] Local Activity Sue Tritton (667 8027) Hon Secretary & Planning/GPCC Liaison A monument restored 6 Grange Terrace, EH9 2LD [email protected] Memorial bench Martin Sinclair (667 4250) Hon Treasurer Page 4 5 St Thomas Road, EH9 2LQ [email protected] Grange Fair 2019 Richard Brown (667 8289) Membership Spotlight 90 Grange Loan, EH9 2EP [email protected] Jean McCutcheon Donald Henderson (07733 332214) AAH update 2 Seton Place, EH9 2JT [email protected] Page 5 Roger Kellett (667 0300) Astley Ainslie Community Engagement Profile 10 Wyvern Park, EH9 2JY [email protected] Tom Cunningham, composer Jean McCutcheon (667 7645) Pages 6/7 14 Oswald Court, EH9 2HY [email protected] Nature Notes Isobel Miller (667 4235) Events An aromatic calling card 61/7 Grange Loan, EH9 2EG [email protected] Community Council Edythe Murie (07779 763930) Garden Group elections 28 Mortonhall Road, EH9 2HN [email protected] Page 8 Peter Pitkin (447 3220) Tree Advice Trees 8 Blackford Road, EH9 2DS [email protected] Astley Ainslie trees Lucy Richardson (07870 307224) Newsletter Distribution/Grange Fair Local Environment 31 Fountainhall Road, EH9 2LN [email protected] Useful Contacts Neil Robb (07834 617374) Web Services Page 9 2b Lauder Road, EH9 2EJ [email protected] Honorary President: Planning Sofia Leonard (667 2339) 12 St Alban’s Road, EH9 2PA [email protected] Page 10 Gardening Matters To advertise in The Page 11 Grange Newsletter, contact Diary Dates Martin Sinclair Page 12 (667 4250) Your contributions, photographs and feedback are Cover and p.5 photos of email: treasurer@ grangeassociation.com welcome. Please send to Jenny Dawe Grange Fair by Simona Zhou, email: [email protected] Lucy Richardson & Jenny Dawe 2 The Grange Newsletter I September 2019 HISTORY & HERITAGE/AAH update Council of Scotland in 1879 and in David Mather Masson the next twenty years was responsible for the production of Scottish academic 13 volumes covering the period from 1578 to 1627. In 1893 he was appointed Historiographer 1822-1907 Royal for Scotland. In addition to Pat Storey is a member of the Grange Association group numerous articles and stand- seeking to identify suitable names to add to the list of alone books, Masson wrote a six- notable graves in Grange Cemetery. Here she shares volume Life of Milton in some information about David Masson, buried in the Connexion with the History of His north-west section of the cemetery. Own Time published between 1858 and 1880, and edited Milton's Poetical Works (3 vols., David Mather Masson was born in Aberdeen on 2 December 1874) and De Quincey's Collected Works (14 vols., 1889-90). 1822, the first child of William Masson - variously described Masson was an active supporter of university education for in the baptisms of his children as a stone-cutter or a marble- women, lecturing on English Literature to the Edinburgh cutter - and his wife Sarah Mather. Ladies Educational Association, later the Edinburgh David was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and Association for the University Education of Women. The first Marischal College Aberdeen, graduating in 1839. He moved hall of residence for women at Edinburgh University was to Edinburgh to study for the ministry but gave named Masson Hall in his honour when it was this up in favour of a literary career. Back in opened in George Square in 1897 before moving Aberdeen he edited the Banner, a weekly paper to the Grange in 1964. advocating Free Church principles, from 1842 to Masson died on 6 October 1907 and Emily on 10 1844, before returning to Edinburgh and then December 1915. They had four children. With moving to London in 1847. In 1852 he was the exception of their only son, David Orme appointed Professor of English Literature at Masson (1858-1937), who had been appointed the University College London and from 1858 he first Professor of Chemistry at Melbourne edited the new monthly Macmillan’s Magazine University in 1886, the family are all buried in for ten years. Grange Cemetery. Of their three daughters, Helen Masson’s many friends in London included Orme Masson (1863-1963), married a doctor, Thomas Carlyle, the Italian nationalist Joseph George Lovell Gulland (1862-1941), Professor of Mazzini and the poet Coventry Patmore. Medicine in Edinburgh 1915-28. Their eldest Through Patmore, he met his future wife, Emily daughter, Flora (1856-1937), trained as a nurse at Rosaline Orme (1835-1911). Her parents, Masson’s grave by St Thomas Hospital in London and became matron Stephencdickson Charles Orme, a distiller, and his wife Eliza at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford before CC BY-SA4.0 Andrews, had a wide circle of literary and artistic returning to Edinburgh. She edited two volumes friends including John Stuart Mill and several of the pre- of reminiscences by her father, and wrote several Raphaelite painters. David and Emily married in August biographies and some novels. Their youngest daughter 1853 and lived with her parents in Hampstead until they Rosaline (1867-1949) wrote numerous short stories and moved to Edinburgh in 1865 when Masson was appointed romantic novels, biographies and other works. Not Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature at Edinburgh surprisingly in view of their parents’ support of education for University, a post he held until he retired in 1895. women and women’s suffrage, Flora and Rosaline were both Masson took over as editor of the Register of the Privy involved in the movement for votes for women. November, with the final version going to the planning Astley Ainslie Hospital site committee in February 2020. They do not want the Taking account of views of the community, a Place Brief Place Brief to be too prescriptive but agree that a very is to be produced to state the restrictions and important aspect of the Brief is how robust it will opportunities of the site for potential developers. It has be. NHS Lothian do not consider this further delay will been decided that this will be drawn up by Edinburgh cause problems. NHS Lothian reassure us that the Council planners. Recently they held four events to Astley Ainslie site will not be put on the market before complete the community consultation. They promise the final Place Brief has been approved by the Council. that the draft brief will be available for comment in Roger Kellett 3 TheThe GrangeGrange Newsletter NewsletterI I JanuarySeptember 2016 2019 LOCAL ACTIVITY Thorburn, Ltd., and will be keeping a watchful eye on the A monument restored remaining tree trunk behind the tomb, which is already While the planting of carefully placed trees in the Grange trying to sprout new shoots at its base. Cemetery greatly enhances its peaceful and restorative atmosphere, uninvited saplings may sow themselves in positions where their sometimes unexpectedly fast growth can endanger the monuments. An example of this has recently been discovered and repaired. When the gravestone of the Reverend William Meek Falconer (1846–1913), Minister of St. Paul’s United Free Church, Edinburgh, was photographed in 2009, the sycamore January 2019 August 2019 behind it looked innocent enough. John Falconer Ten years later, a chance walk round the cemetery by his great-grandson Memorial Bench for Dorothy Ryle The gravestone in 2009 revealed that the tree’s side branch Dorothy loved walking in Grange Cemetery and cared had dangerously displaced one of the stones in the monument, deeply about making it a pleasant quiet place for people leaving the upper part precariously balanced. After the to enjoy. The Grange Association committee has agreed offending branch had been removed, the family had the to purchase a memorial bench, to be placed in the monument expertly repaired by the building contractors Mary Cemetery, in memory of Dorothy. It is hoped that this will be in place before Christmas. f f 4 The Grange Newsletter I September 2019 GRANGE FAIR/SPOTLIGHT The sun shines (again) on the Fair Joan Forehand reports on another successful fundraising stalls. The plant stall, organised by Edythe Grange Fair. Murie, with the help of those in the Garden Exchange The Grange Fair 2019 took place on Saturday 11th May group, was overflowing with beautiful in Fountainhall Road. The day heralded a fortuitous plants many of which are now located change in the weather which brought warm spring in gardens across the Grange. The sunshine to the Grange. This, along with the numerous refreshments provided by the tea, attractions brought the crowds again, with around 1,500 coffee and scones stall and the people being counted in.