Rosslyn Chapel was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair. The beauty of its setting, in rural Midlothian, and the mysterious symbolism of its ornate stonework have inspired, attracted and intrigued writers, artists and visitors ever since.State Heritage Scotlandmasons' marks, chapel, scotland, masons,

non-fiction Jane Bardsley's letters from 1896 - 1936 telling stories about her life across the years tom atherton, midlothian

The internal decorative scheme of Villa Alba is significant as a fine example of the work of the leading Melbourne decorators, the Paterson Brothers. It is one of their first interiors to depart totally from the use of pre-prepared wallpapers of repetitive designs and it is a rare and comprehensive extant example of their domestic work. The decorative schemes in the ground floor hall, the dining room, the drawing, the vestibule, the stair hall, the upper hall, bedroom 1 and the boudoir are also individually of significance as outstanding examples of Victorian decoration. The frieze in the Dining Room of Villa Alba was painted by Hugh Paterson in 1883-1884, and depicts scenes from Walter Scott's novels 'Rob Roy' and 'The Heart of Mid-Lothian.'High quality photographic record of 'The Heart of Mid-Lothian' section of the frieze with annotations by Robyn Riddett and Andrew Dixon. Photographs were taken by Trevor Mein.Panels 11 to 17 of scenes from Sir Walter Scott's novel 'The Heart of Mid-Lothian'. Positioned below the architrave, each panel or lunette is separated by trompe-l'œil columns. The Heart of Midlothian section of the frieze is located on the east wall, continuing clockwise from above the door. [The panels on the north, west and east walls depict scenes from Scott's 'Rob Roy'.][The captions on each image were created by Robyn Riddett and Andrew Dixon using the text of each novel as a reference]villa alba museum, domestic interiors -- 1880s, hugh paterson, the paterson brothers, walter scott, the heart of mid-lothian

This book contains private letters which G. S. Mackay wrote to his daughter, Meta? and his aunt in the 1920’s. G. S. Mackay was born in Sutherlandshire Scotland in 1850. He qualified as a solicitor and came to Australia in 1884 and later to Warrnambool in 1893. He served as a Warrnambool City Councillor and also held a number of important positions within the Presbyterian Church. He was one of the earliest and strongest supporters of the Warrnambool High School. Many of the letters within this book are to his daughter who studied medicine in Glasgow in the early 1900’s. G. S Mackay was prominent in legal, civic and religious life in Warrnambool almost from the time of his arrival in 1893 until his death in 1926. Many of these letters are of a religious nature and as such display that aspect and personal thoughts of Mr Mackay’s personal life. Dark green fabric cover with light brown suede spine and cover edges. Hard cover. Green patterned paper inside front and back covers. Alphabetical index at front. Pale fine yellow pages numbered up to 502. L. ****Queen Douglas, Newpark West Calder, MidLothian 14 miles from Edin’h Ry Stn Newpark. Meta Selby The Calouda(?) Club 35 St Georges Square London S.W.1 warrnambool, g.s. mackay letter book, solicitor, g. s mackay councillor.

The Villa Alba Museum is cultural institution committed to the collection, study and display of 19th century interior decorative finishes, and the components of 19th and 20th century interior decoration. Most rooms in this historically and aesthetically significant house have stone (typically marble) fireplaces that are inset with plain and decorative tiles produced by the company of Mintons Ltd.Digital photograph of the decorative surround tiles on the right tiled panels of the fireplace in the main bedroom at Villa Alba. The four grey monochrome surround tiles were selected from a series of twelve 'Waverley' [novels] tiles designed by John Moyr Smith and produced by Mintons Ltd, Catalogue No. 1607 (Mintons Tile catalogue p. 62/206)Tiles x 4 Upper left: BRIDE OF LAMMERMOOR \ RAVENSWOOD & LUCY Lower left: THE ANTIQUARY / SIR ARTHUR DOVSTERSWIVEL Upper right: THE MAID OF PERTH / BONTHRON ACCUSES ROTHSAY Lower right: THE HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN / JEANIE & THE QUEENfireplaces, mintons, mintons - tiles, villa alba --- main bedroom

Roslin Castle, the seat of the St Clair Family, was founded in 1304. It is partly in ruins. According to legend some millions of pounds worth of treasure being hidden in the vaults. it is said to be under the charge of a lady of the ancient St Clair family. She is to wake from her slumber and point out the spot where the treasure lies. It is located near the village of Roslin in Midlothian, Scotland. It is located around 9 miles south of Edinburgh, on the north bank of the North Esk, only a few hundred metres from the famous Rosslyn Chapel. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roslin_Castle)Three postcards showing different views of Roslin Castle. .1) A stone building on a hill side, with flying flag, .2) The Courtyard, Roslin Castle .3) The Bakehouse, Roslin Castle.1) This a fine view taken from the Glen. Formerly the castle was eight storeys high, five above and three underground. .2) While at Edinburgh I went out to Roslin saw there the Castle and Church. They are both very old dating back 500 hundred years. .3) The hole in the wall is the oven, is an immense thing. A fire was lit in the oven then pulled out and the heat in the stone did the baking.roslin, rosslyn, roslin castle, st clair, spirit, ghost, baking, oven, bread

Farquhar McCrae (1807-50) was born at Westbrook near Edinburgh, into a distinguished Scottish family. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh and graduated MD in 1827. After a sojourn in Paris he joined the staff of the general hospital at Chatham. Here he suffered an injury during a dissection, which impaired his health for the rest of his life. He was appointed curator of the museum at Chatham, and put together a notable collection of pathological specimens. In 1838 he sought to resign on the grounds of ill health, and was then offered a posting with the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. But with his health still poor, he decided to emigrate to a kinder climate, and arrived in Melbourne aboard the barque Midlothian. McCrae set up practice in Bourke Street with his brother-in-law, David Thomas. Both were pioneers in the use of anæsthetics. McCrae was the first to introduce chloroform, Thomas ether. Sometime after 1841 McCrae moved to Sydney, where he was one of the first medical practitioners appointed to the staff of the Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary. He died in Sydney at the age of 43 years. The sword is a dress sword of the 6th Dragoons. Made by Henry Wilkinson of Pall Mall, it is 38 inches (96.5cm) long and has an elaborately engraved and highly polished steel blade. Being a ceremonial weapon, the blade is quite blunt, and the gilt guard bears the crown and monogram of Queen Victoria, which dates the sword to late 1837 or 1838. The grip is bound in snakeskin and the sword is carried in a leather scabbard with brass mounts. It remains as one of the important links to the pioneering days of Melbourne, and early medical practice in Australasia.Sword, ceremonial, steel with brass decoration and a steel handle, highly decorated, in a scabbard of patterned black leather covered metal, brass tipped, 100 cm long. It belonged to Farquhar McCrae.

This magnetic compass is a good size to fit easily into a person's pocket or personal luggage and is protected from knocks by its wooden case. It could have been used for reference when travelling on land or sea. There is no visible manufacturer's mark, which may mean that it was not of high monetary value. Leith is a district of Edinburgh in the country of Scotland, the U.K. It was once the Port of Edinburgh and many migrant ships departed from here bound for the Australian colony. It had a busy shipbuilding industry, with wet and dry docks. It appears from the inscription on the case "Chas Gray, LEITH, 1839" that this pocket compass once belonged to Charles M. Gray (Chas is a common abbreviation for the name Charles). The inscription coincides with the name, place and date that the Western Victorian pioneer Charles M. Gray left Scotland and arrived in Australia. Charles Gray was born in Anstruther, Scotland, in 1818. His family was connected with the Royal Marines, which may have created his nautical instruments such as this pocket compass. Charles Gray arrived in Hobson's Bay on 15 June 1839 on the ship “Midlothian”. That same ship had departed from Leith, Scotland on February 15th 1839. Did Charles Gray acquire the pocket compass in Leith, perhaps as a gift or a souvenir of his motherland? Charles Gray was an early squatter and went on to become a very successful settler as a sheep pastoralist in the Western District of what is now Victoria (originally the colony of New South Wales). He and his wife had a large property called “Nareeb Nareeb”, Green Hill Creek District (now Glenthompson), Victoria, from 1840-1886. He was also a local Councillor and Justice of the Peace, and had an interest in the local indigenous people; he named his property after their tribe. Charles returned to England in 1890 and died there in 1905. Charles Gray had written an account in 1890 of his life at Nareeb Nareeb, called Western Victoria in the Forties: "REMINISCENCES OF A PIONEER The Western District in the 1840's By Charles Gray" , a valuable historical reference to colonial Victoria. His book was published by the Hamilton Spectator in 1932. Charles Gray's photograph is one of 713 historical photographs of early Victorian settlers, created as a montage by Thomas Foster Chuck in 1872. The State Library of Victoria holds the framed montage titled “The Explorers and Early Colonists of Victoria”. To qualify for inclusion on this montage the Settlers must have arrived in Victoria before 1843. Charles Gray's photograph is number 349! The pocket compass is associated with Charles Gray, one of the early squatters and settlers in Western Victoria, possibly given to him as a parting gift on his emigration to Van Diemans land in 1839. The item is very significant as it's connection with one of Victoria's early pioneers is well provenanced by the inscriptions on the wooden case. Pocket compass, brass, set into a square wooden case with hinged lid and small hook catch. Compass is marked with 360 degrees and compass points and has two pointers; one to show magnetic north and one to set the direction of travel. Hinges are triangular and inset into the wood. The lid has an attached brass plaque with the inscription "Chas Gray, Leith, 1839" (It likely belonged to Charles Gray, Leith, UK, who migrated to Port Philip Australia in 1839 and became a successful pastoralist.) “Chas Gray / LEITH / 1839” engraved on brass plaque on lid.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, magnetic compass, pocket compass, charles m. gray, chas gray, migrrant from leith 1839, charles gray anstruther, scottland, ship midlothian 1839, squatter western victoria, settler western victoria, hobson's bay port phillip australia, charles gray nareeb nareeb - green hill creek district, western victoria in the forties: reminiscences of a pioneer by charles m. gray 1890, leith edinburgh u.k., western victoria in the forties: reminiscences of a pioneer - montage by thomas foster chuck 1872, charles gray, reminiscences of a pioneer, the western district in the 1840's, compass, scientific instrument, nautical instrument, direction, directional compass, navigation