Report of a District Meeting and Sightseeing Tour, 30-31 August 1903

On Sunday, Aug, 30, 1903, three largely attended meetings were held at the Latter-day Saints’ hall, 14 Picardy Place, Free Gardner’s Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland. Eighteen of the 20 Elders in the mission were present, also Elder Thomas E. McKay, on his way home from a three years’ mission to Germany, Elder Stewart w. Eccles, Jr., from the New Castle conference, Elder William E. Baird, visitor from Baker City, Idaho, Sister Margaret Thurman, lady missionary from the London conference, and Sister Nannie A. Tout from the Royal College of Music, London. These highly talented ladies are an honor to their much respected parents in Utah, the church and the world. Name and fame awaits them.

The night meeting was the largest attended, the nice hall being filled with 124 people, most of whom were friendly strangers. Numbers of them attend our meetings regularly. The spirit of the Lord was made manifest through the various speakers in a very marked degree so much so that tears of joy ran down the cheeks of a number of the congregation, and peace and joy prevailed. Sister Thurman was one of the speakers at the evening meeting and her remarks were listened to very attentively by the congregation. Sister Tout sang for the Elders on the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the quick manner in which the large crowds of people gathered to hear the singing, was truly amazing to the Elders.

Monday was devoted to sight seeing in Edinburgh by the Elders and the two sisters named. Castle Hill was the first place visited, and the golden and diamond bedecked crown and regalia seen, of the ill-starred Mary Queen of Scots. The castle is on one of the highest hills in Edinburgh and is constantly guarded by soldiers in red, white and other brilliant colored coats and kilts. Edinburgh is a city of hills and it contains a population as large as is in the entire State of Utah. It has a number of wide streets and sidewalks like Salt Lake City, and the people walk, as in London and other large cities, on the right side.

The palace and Abbey of Holyrood, where the former kings, queens, dukes, etc., of Scotland resided, were the next places we were bent on seeing, and while on the way we passed the famous St. Giles auld kirk. It is still used as a place of worship. All the principal towns in Scotland are cobblestone paved, with square cut stones throughout. Carts and wagons sound like trains as they run along the streets. There is a curved street around the kirk, over a graveyard of the long ago, and in the middle of the street is a square stone about 18×18 inches, level with the cobblestones, with two plain letters, J.K., on it. Visitors and tourists are informed that “that is the grave of the great reformer and preacher, John Knox.” How many people lie underneath that much trodden street, with heavy loaded carts, lorries (wagons), etc., the resurrection only will tell.

After passing this historic kirk, our congenial friend, Elder George Robinson, president of th Edinburgh branch of the Church, and his loving and charming daughter Mary, joined in with us. Elder Robinson’s home has been in Edinburgh for many, many years, and he is a traveling encyclopedia as to historic places in Edinburgh, as well as being well read and informed on many important questions. Bro. Robinson is a very modest gentleman and says very little to anyone, but he is very pleasant to associate with. Each place of great historic interest was pointed out to us by him, and every few steps brought us face to face with some of them. The house of John Knox when pointed out caused some serious thoughts in some of our minds.

Our attention was particularly called to an old building by our guide. Above the door was an excellent figure in stone of the pleasant face and head of a boy in his teens, surmounted by a well executed wreath, a Scotch thistle, also in stone, with an inscription underneath the figures: “Heave awa chaps, I’m no deid yet.” The story of the boy’s complete entombment for three days after the building fell and covered him up, and his deliverance therefrom, would form a sad and joyful letter. It was amusing to us wha unerstaun the braid Scotch to hear some of the Elders trying to repeat the inscription referred to.

We passed “ye auld Jyle o’ Embra.” It bears date of the year 1125. While no money was burned up in firecrackers as at our Fourth of July celebration, the capers or tricks of crowds of laddies (boys) in front of us, for the amusement of “rich Americans,” touched the heartstrings of some of the Elders and coppers, baubees (cents) and pennies were thrown quite freely in the air by them, and the scramble for them was quite exciting to the boys.

The palace and Abbey of Holyrood being entered into by us, “the chapel royal,” “the sole remaining portion of the great church of the monastery of Holyrood,” was the first thing seen: bare, bleak walls. Auld Alloway Kirk in Air is more pleasing to the eye than “the great church” here referred to. Every neuck (corner) in the building was examined into, the picture gallery, Lord Darnley’s rooms, Queen Mary’s bedroom, etc., etc. were all visited. The picture gallery contains nearly 100 of choice pictures, and one in particular would be a revelation to all the ministers in the world. It is the large painting and picture of “The Holy Trinity,” Father, Son and Holy Ghost, each one being a personage.

The next place visited was the large glass works of Edinburgh. By courtesy of Mr. Robertson, manager of that institution, we were conducted through the great establishment, and saw all the processes of glass making. The hand carving on the different glasses for the kings, queens and royalty in all the world, is marvelous, and also a great credit to the steady hand and high skill attained by the craftsmen engaged in that most delicate occupation.

The general registration office in Edinburgh may also be mentioned, as the Latter-day Saints from Scotland and their descendants are perhaps more interested in that building and the records therein than any other building and records outside of our mountain home. Some of the records in the registration office go back to the fifteenth century, and from 1855, when the law came into effect compelling the registration of marriages, births and deaths, the records from that date to 1902 are complete. The records are the best in the world. There are tens of thousands of books, and when correct name, date, town and parish is given the expert clerks in that office consult the index book (all the millions of names in Scotland are, or have been, indexed), and the name desired furnished in five minutes or less. Two shillings and a penny for the extract of one name. Three shillings and a penny at the registration offices in the parishes for a single extract. One pound ($5) gives the right for 10 days of a general search at the general registration office. Any record furnished immediately when called for. Anyone at home desiring names must give the name of the parish and town where their kindred or friends were born to get at the names quickly. Sometimes a week or more is spent searching and no name found because of failure of the parish being given.

Edinburgh Bible class at Bro. and Sister George White every Thursday night has begun for the season, and Mutual Improvement meetings at Bro. and Sister John Richardson’s every Saturday night.

James D. Stirling
122 North Frederick street
Glasgow, Scotland