June - Alyth Voice

Following our research into this local volunteer regiment, this month we continue
with an extract from “A Narrative of the Royal Scottish Volunteer Review
in Holyrood Park on the Seventh of August 1860” by Ernest Ralph Vernon,
describing the very first Holyrood Volunteers Review.
© Print of Royal Scottish Volunteers Review - Holyrood 7 August 1860 by Schenk & McFarlane
“THE REVIEW
The Review bands, being those of the 13th Light Dragoons, the 78th Highlanders,
the 29th Regiment, and the West York Rifle Militia, advanced from the line,
and took up a position opposite to the Royal flagstaff, leaving sufficient space
for the Volunteers to pass the Royal carriage. Here also the General Commanding
in Chief and his staff took their stand. On a given signal the whole army was
put in motion, and the marching past commenced.
The general effect was very striking, as brigade after brigade got into motion.
There was not the gorgeous blaze of scarlet and gold which gives so dazzling
an effect to a review of our regular troops, but the quietness of colour generally
pervading the mass had a novel and pleasing appearance, and led one irresistibly
to the thought that, as the movement was so evidently not got up for show,
its continued efficiency and its permanence were the more to be looked for.
To attempt anything like a description of the uniforms worn by the different
corps, would be about as easy as to arrange the colours in a Berlin-wool basket
after a couple of kittens had taken an afternoon’s amusement of the contents.
Suffice it to say, that from the bright scarlet of the Cavalry and Engineers down
to the palest of grays of the Dumfries Rifles, there was every shade of colour
and colourlessness that can be conceived. Among the Artillery, as might be
expected, blue was the favourite hue; while the Rifles, beginning with the dusky
gray of the City of Edinburgh, - which, with its polished belts, gives to a column
when seen from a distance, the look of a stack of the Earl of Zetland’s best
Jewels, - wandered through every variety of gray mixture, with here and there a
patch of green, and an occasional bright facing or stripe, which least gave a
pleasing floral effect to some of the columns.
To reach the spot for wheeling into the saluting base, as that line of march is
called in which the saluting point is situated, each column had to pass behind a
rising ground which hid it from the view of the Grand Stand and the other Volunteers;
and when it emerged, it was marching at wheeling distance—that is, each
company was following the other at a distance equal to its own length. Like
masses of ore passed into the bowels of some vast machine, and reappearing
in solid compact bars, so column after column was lost to view, to reappear in
steadily-moving straight lines of companies, which marched along the saluting
base with a regularity of step that, in most cases, could not be surpassed.
Placed at certain points on the line of march were pioneers of the 78th Highlanders,
and close to these it was the duty of each officer commanding a company,
to pass—a very wise substitute for the usual flags, which are so easily
avoided, and are generally knocked down by the first company that reaches
them, “covering” being proverbially the weak point of Volunteer officers. Not one
inch, however, will Pioneer Pipeclay be induced to budge for all the Volunteer
captains in Great Britain. Not even when Her Majesty’s escort, in taking up its
position, makes a show of riding him over, does he move a muscle. So firm
does he stand, that the rasp of the hilt of Captain Dressup’s sword against his
sporran is heard by the ladies in the Grand Stand, who, by the by, allege that
though otherwise totally motionless, Pioneer Pipeclay, like “pallida mors,” kept
making time—”equo pede” - with his heels to the music of the Review band.
These are not the first volunteers to be seen. He is one of the heroes of Lucklow.
Does he give his adherence to the views of our Peels and Robertson Gladstones
or not? One would like to have a crack (Scotticé) with him over a good
foaming pot, and have his views on things in general, and the Volunteer movement
in particular.
Her Majesty watched the various corps as they flowed by unceasingly with
great apparent delight. She seemed in high spirits, and smiled and bowed to the
corps as they passed with more than Royal condescension. The Prince-Consort
seemed also to take a very lively interest in the scene, scrutinising the companies,
and nodding his approval to the Duke of Buccleuch, with whom he
9 TH PERTHSHIRE (ALYTH) VOLUNTEERS
24
conversed during the greater part of the Review. The Princesses too, seemed
to enjoy the whole scene, as did also the Duchess of Kent, who, we are sorry to
say, looked far from well. What the brilliant staff of officers, many of them heroes
of world-wide renown, thought of the display we cannot say, but doubtless,
with the usual generosity of their cloth, their criticisms would be lenient and their
words encouraging. The people in the Grand Stand could not restrain their
enthusiasm. Even the near neighbourhood of Royalty failed to prevent sundry
bursts of applause, as an unusually good marching company passed by. All the
Highland corps were favoured with special marks of approbation, as indeed
they are on every occasion.
In all, 348 companies marched past Her Majesty; and, as each company
consisted of sixty men - besides officers and sergeants - the grand total cannot
have been anything under 22,000 men. Of these, from 1800 to 2000 were Volunteers
from the North of England, thus leaving about 20,000 as the total number
of Scotch Volunteers who took part in the Review. Such a result cannot fail
to be gratifying to every Scotchman, and has been cheerfully acknowledged by
all the English press as most creditably to the zeal and energy of Scotland. That
Scotland, with so few resources, and so limited a population, should be able to
bring together so powerful a body of men - surpassing considerably in numbers
that brought together by the wealthier and more populous sister country—is a
fact of which no Scotchman would be a man did he not feel proud. The fact is,
when Scotchmen are roused into taking up a scheme, they never do it by
halves, but go into it, heart and soul, with an indomitable energy which defies all
obstacles, and a steady, unswerving zeal, which insures ultimate success.”
Many thanks to Tommy Smyth of The Black Watch Museum, Jonathan Ferguson
of Edinburgh Castle National War Museum, Mrs Woods, Andrew Ogilvy-
Wedderburn, and Sara Ann Kelly of AK Bell Library for their help in compiling
this information. The Voice would be grateful for any information regarding the
9th Perthshire (Alyth) Volunteers or Inverquiech Farm. Irene Robertson
Dear Alyth Voice,
Whitley Bay
8th May 2009
9th (Alyth) Perthshire Volunteers
At long last I enclose photographs of the trophy presented to my great
grandfather, James Tod, sergeant in the volunteers. He was a bit of a crack shot
and I understand that that was for which the trophy was awarded. May I take this
opportunity to set the record straight? About two years ago I submitted a
photograph of the officers and N.C.O.s to the Alyth Voice and it is only because of
this trophy I was able to identify the particular regiment that these officers
belonged to. I didn’t get a copy of that particular issue so I don’t know what the
caption said. I do know that it raised quite a bit of interest as you got a similar
photograph from America showing the same people in kilts. The engraving on the
trophy states
PRESENTED
BY
Mrs James Wedderburn Ogilvy
WON BY
JAMES TOD
9th (Alyth) Perthshire Volunteers
1865
© J. Tod
It stands approximately 7.25 inches high, top width 4.25 inches (about 110cm.),
bottom width 5.5 inches (about 140cm.) and its capacity is 1 quart (2.272 litres). I
was mildly surprised to see he was not listed as one of those who attended the
grand parade which was washed out. I have anecdotal evidence he did. He shot
at both Wimbledon and Bisley and seemed to occasionally win a few prizes.
James Tod was elected to the council in 1886 and was elected Provost in 1894
and seems to have got into every thing. I enclose a copy of an article from the
Alyth Gazette and Guardian of the 24th September 1958 on the 50th anniversary
of the opening of the park. Incidentally I forwarded copies of the photographs of
the opening of the park to The Voice some time ago. Evidently it became known
as ‘Tod’s’ Park. Much easier than the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Park, don’t
you think?
Grovelling apologies on not giving me the credit of bringing the Volunteers to
your attention will be accepted!
Yours faithfully, Mr James Tod
PS The trophy is not solid silver, but silver plated.
[Ed. The Holyrood Review we are currently printing verbatim was not the “Wet
Review of 1881” but the very first Holyrood Review in 1860. The Gazette and
Guardian article will be printed in July’s Voice. The photographs of the opening of
the Diamond Jubilee Park were printed in April 2007’s Alyth Voice.]