Bronze First World War Memorial Plaque to the 80 employees of William Younger & Company Limited, Holyrood Breweries, Edinburgh, who lost their lives, by F N Bose
The decision, taken very early in the conflict, by the British Government that no bodies would be repatriated for burial in Britain but would be left in the lands where they had fought and died, increased the need for those left grieving to have a focus for their remembrance and so the erection of war memorials was actively encouraged.
In Scotland, as in other parts of the country, a special advisory committee was established to help communities in the planning and to facilitate sculptors and architects being engaged in the scheme.
In addition to war memorials which were established to record the losses sustained by a particular town or village, many others were set up in schools, universities or places of work to commemorate the sacrifices made.
The memorial featured in the present photograph was that to the 80 employees of the Edinburgh-based Brewers, William Younger & Company Limited and shows the memorial shortly after its unveiling, as originally sited on the frontage of Younger's Abbey Brewery at Holyrood.
It was originally unveiled there on Friday 27 October 1922 by General Sir Francis Davies. No less than 65% of the firm's workforce enlisted and 80 made the ultimate sacrifice.
The Brewery closed in 1986 and the extensive site was demolished and is now occupied by the Scottish Parliament Building.
The Memorial was subsequently been repositioned to the exterior wall at the nearby Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh.
The bronze casting was probably undertaken by the leading Edinburgh-based architectural founders, Charles Henshaw and Son.
Additional details
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Object data
Date c.1922 Accession 2024.0069.97 Type Photograph Black and white print Materials Support paper, photographic Dimensions Support size of the print
20.8cm x 14.1cmAcquisition Gift Galloway Family (September 24th, 2024) -
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