46

This George Washington Wilson photograph shows the memorial stones inserted in the west wall of Collison's Aisle. Originally called Aisle of the Holy Blood, it formed part of the north transept between the East and West Churches of St. Nicholas and was renamed after 1594, although it probably dates from the 14th century. Members of the Collison family held important civic offices at various times, including Provost in 1521 and 1594, and their place of burial was in this aisle. The memorial stones commemerate Andrew Cullen, Thomas Menzies and his wife Mariene Reid, and Sir John Rutherford. Andrew Cullen was a merchant and Provost of Aberdeen in 1506 and 1535, and the stone shows a sculptered coat of arms above the words "Andrew Cullen Prepositus Abd". Thomas Menzies was Provost in 1525 and (for 40 of the next 50 years), only leaving office in favour of other members of his family. He married Mariane Reid of Pitfodels. The stone has two panels above a shield bearing the Menzies coat of arms, flanked by the initials T.M. The second panel has the initials M.R. and a shield with the Menzies and Reid coats of arms. Beneath is the motto 'Spero in Deo et ipse faciet' - Trust in God and he will perform'. The third stone commemorates Sir John Rutherford of Tarland, first elected Provost of Aberdeen in 1483 and every alternate year until 1492, and again between 1496-1500. He probably died about 1520.

374

St. Nicholas Kirk and graveyard, showing the new spire after the 1874 fire, which destroyed the ancient tower and steeple of the East Kirk. William Smith, son of John Smith, rebuilt both chancel and crossing between 1875 and 1877. When the present granite steeple was built, a carillon of 37 new bells was installed, cast by Van Aerschodt of Louvain, in Belgium. A further 11 bells were added in 1954, making a total of 48 bells - the largest carillon in Great Britain. St. Nicholas Church West, shown here, was built between 1751 and 1755. Designed by James Gibb, it is a classic example of an 18th century preaching kirk. Building took 4 years and it opened for public worship on 9th November 1755. St. Nicholas Kirkyard is a popular place for family historians, with its many table tombs and monuments. Amongst the famous local names are Archibald Simpson, architect, John Anderson, Wizard of the North, and William Dyce, the painter.

765

Site of Mar's Castle, Gallowgate after its demolition in 1897. The building in the background was for many years the meeting place of the Society of Friends (Quakers). They also had a burial ground in this area in the 1670s. The building was acquired by John Watt and Sons, leather merchants. The upper part had louvre windows which made it suitable for drying leather. The two doorways that remain standing in the centre of the image were part of the tenement located just north of Mar's Castle. Above the one on the left can be seen a sign indicating that this was once the pend leading to Logan's Court. In the late 19th century the address of this tenement would have been 150 Gallowgate. The demolition of Mar's Castle, and likely this tenement too, began in January 1897. The Town Council bought the property and ordered its demolition so that the street could be widened. This photograph was taken at the junction with Innes Street and looks east across Gallowgate.

2236

Milk being delivered by two milk boys on Victoria Road, Torry. The milk came from the Kirkhill Dairy, Balnagask. The photograph shows a horse drawn cart. Ian Smith has kindly been in touch to inform us that the man behind the cart is his grandfather, Albert Corbett. He ran Kirkhill Farm for much of his life. The golden anniversary of Albert and Georgina Corbett (née Todd) was reported in the Press & Journal of 9th September 1970, page 18. The article explains that the couple had left South Kirkhill Farm, where Albert had farmed for 47 years, the previous year, moving to 28 Leggart Terrace. They met when Georgia, an Aberdonian, moved to Fraserburgh. Albert worked on his family's nearby farm, called Watermill, and delivered milk to Georgina's landlady. After marriage, and before moving to Balnagask, the couple lived in Strichen and ran a diary there. The article concludes stating, both aged 71, Albert and his wife had two daughters, named Mrs Irene Smith and Mrs Ethel Douglas, and three sons, Bert, James and Alistair. They also had nine grandchildren. A family notice from the 10th January 1978 issue of the same newspaper states that Albert B. D. Corbett had died after a short illness, aged 79, the day before. A service was held for him on the 12th of that month at the Aberdeen Crematorium, Hazlehead (West Chapel). Ian also checked with family members and informs us that the boy on the right in this photograph is Andy Cowe, who later moved to Seattle, USA, and on the left is Jocky Milne. The Ordnance Survey, 25 inch to the mile, map of Balnagask published in 1899 indicates that there was once three houses called Kirkhill in the area; North, South and East. South Kirkhill was located on the south side of Balnagask Road, a bit to the east of Balnagask House and Mains. East Kirkhill was not far to the east, on the other side of St. Fittick's Road and North Kirkhill was up towards Greyhope Road. Later maps tell us that the original South Kirkhill was demolished by the early 20th century and by the 1950s East Kirkhill had taken its name. None of the residences remain today, the area of North Kirkhill is now part of Balnagask Golf Club and St. Fittick's Community Garden is now roughly where East (later South) Kirkhill once stood. North Kirkhill used to be the home of the greenkeeper of the golf course. The use of the name Kirkhill likely refers to the nearby old St. Fittick's Church and the hilly terrain of Balnagask and Torry.

2586

In September 1850 an advert appeared in the local papers of Aberdeen for "Hays' Isometrical View of Aberdeen, giving a Distinct and Correct View of the Whole City and Environs". We hold copy of the plan from 1850 in our Local Studies collection. The plan was available to purchase for 3s. 6d. and measured 34 inches by 19 inches. Carvers and gilders, J. & J. Hays, had premises at 2 Market Street where they also sold prints and optical instruments. At the bottom left of the image we see the words George Wilson, Delt. (abbreviation of delineator, i.e. the artist). George Wilson was to find fame a few years later as George Washington Wilson when he became one of Scotland's premier photographers. George Washington Wilson George Washington Wilson was born in 1823 at Waulkmill of Carnousie in Banffshire and left school at 12 years of age to be an apprentice carpenter. He practised his artistic skills by drawing portraits of friends and neighbours and, after training at art schools in Edinburgh and London, he returned to Aberdeen to become an art teacher and portrait painter. By the late 1840's Wilson was attracted by the work of Fox Talbot in the new art of photography and after initial experiments with a homemade camera, he advertised a business offering photographic portraits before eventually expanding into landscape photography. A Bird's Eye View of History Wilson created this panoramic view of the city by making numerous sketches from the roofs of high buildings and then merging them into one comprehensive drawing. We are looking north across the city from the harbour with Union Street running horizontally across the centre and Old Aberdeen in the far distance. We can see how small the city actually was at this time - open fields are visible just to the north of the west end of Union Street. A key to the most prominent buildings was provided and it is interesting to see which buildings have survived until today, often with additions, and which had yet to be built. Robert Gordon's Hospital (now College), Marischal College, and various churches including the Triple Kirks and St Nicholas East and West are all still standing but the West Prison, Castlehill Barracks and the Poorhouse have been demolished. Bird's Eye View 1889 In December 1889, the Aberdeen Free Press offered its readers an updated version of the Bird's Eye View as a supplement to their newspaper. Numerous changes to the landscape of the city had taken place since Wilson's view.

2615

This photograph of Union Street was taken in 1936 and shows the premises of John Raffan, shoe fitting specialists, at 446 and Dugan & Mitchell, clothiers, at 448 Union Street. James Dugan and Duncan Mitchell entered into partnership around 1919. Mitchell had previously been in the former's employment as a cutter. Dugan had worked as a tailor on his own account since about 1907 in premises in Bon Accord Street, Rose Street and 443 Union Street. Prior to this he was a commercial traveller representing two local tailoring firms; Messers Milne and Low and Messers Kenneth McLean and Sons. He became a well respected figure in the tailoring and clothing trade in Aberdeen and the North East. He was the son of a china merchant in George Street called Hugh Dugan. James was married and had a daughter. He died suddenly at his residence at Glen-Shiel, Bieldside on 10th May 1927. Duncan Mitchell was a native of Largs, Ayrshire and served his apprenticeship in Glasgow. He was a keen golfer and was a member of the Deeside Golf Club. He died aged 73 after a short illness in January 1955. John Raffan died on Sunday 10th June 1906 after suffering an apoplectic seizure in his Union Steet shop the preceding Friday. He was 52 years old at the time of his death. He was born in the parish of Ordiquhill and his father was a shoemaker named James Raffan. He served his apprenticeship in Portsoy with a draper called James Guthrie before coming to Aberdeen. He worked with Messers J. & A. Gibb and Mr James Saint, warehousemen and silk mercers, prior to starting his own business as a boot and shoe merchant in Market Street and then Union Street. Beyond his business, Raffan was deeply involved in religious and philanthropic work. He was a force in the establishment of Union Grove Baptist Church and was connected to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, as a life member, the Aberdeen Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, the Seabank Home, and Stronach's Close Mission. He was married and had a daughter and two sons. Above the shop fronts is a sign for Imperial Typewriters. The buildings in this photograph were across the road, just west, from the Capitol Cinema. They are still visible today. In more recent times they have been occupied by general food shops such as the Co-operative and Costcutters.

3012

An image from a postcard showing Burnbanks, a small coastal settlement near Cove, on 11th May 1921. A group of children are sitting around with houses in the background. Local historian Joe McLeod informs us that this photograph shows the Beattie family, who lived in Burnbanks. The child on the right is Frederick Beattie. He died in WW2 from wounds received fighting in the Middle East. He was 29 years old and left a widow and a son. The young girl in the middle of the group on the right is Jean Ingram. An article concerning her memories of Burnbanks features in the Evening Express of 25/02/1991, p. 4. This article was published after plans were announced for the restoration of the village's remaining 10 cottages. These had been in a semi-derelict state since the last resident left in the early 1970s. The development was a collaboration between Scotia Homes of Ellon and the North-East Scotland Preservation Trust. The project, which also saw the construction of 12 new cottages, was concluded with an official opening ceremony on 07/11/1991, to which past residents of the village were invited (Press & Journal, 05/11/1991, p. 3). Prior to their redevelopment, from the 1970s onwards, the cottages had been used as stores for Aberdeen City District Council and possibly also as a small agricultural museum.

3586

This photograph shows snow covered fifies and small line boats moored in the Torry Harbour. Two Peterhead steam drifters rest mid-shot. This image faces North-East, towards a Torry leading lighthouse and North Kirkhill, which is visible in the distance. The South Breakwater lighthouse is visible just beyond. The steam drifters presence indicates this photo was likely taken no earlier than 1905, when the Aberdeen Daily Journal started showcasing their launches. Two buildings on the right of the image sit along Torry Quay. The building on the left, as indicated by its sign, is the University Bar. This was a pub in the building that still stands at the time of writing in 2023, though altered, at 170 Sinclair Road. It was a pub for many years, called Campbell's, and is currently a school of dance. The Aberdeen Pub Companion (1975) by Archibald Hopkin suggests its original name was due to a connection to University boating activities. By the time of Hopkin's book, the pub was called the Nineteenth Hole, after its proximity to the Balnagask golf course. Hopkin describes the Nineteenth Hole as a "splendid traditional pub", praising its wide range of drinks, decoration and fine view over the harbour to the North Sea. He also states that the licensee for many years, Charles Campbell (likely the source of the pub's later name) was regularly adding to the pub's range of over 130 whiskies.

4443

A photograph by Roddy Millar, taken 17/07/2024, from a series surveying the architecture of the north side of Union Street. The church towards the centre of this image is Gilcomston South. This was designed by architect William Smith (1817-1891). It was opened 1868 and served as the second, more elaborate premises of the United Free Church in Aberdeen. The first had been a more simple granite box-auditorium on Huntly Street. An illustration of this earlier building features in Gammie's Churches of Aberdeen (1909) on page 127. Historic Environment Scotland, in the entry for the building on their listed buildings portal, describe Gilcomston South as an interesting example of asymmetrical planning. This style had been advocated 30 years prior to its construction by the Camden Society and Ecclesiologists in England and continued to be advocated by the Aberdeen Ecclesiological Society into the late 19th century. The entry for the church on Aberdeen City Council's Historic Environment Record gives much detail of its history and development over the years. Across Summer Street is 402-406 Union Street. This building has been a Pizza Express since 1998 (Evening Express, 06/06/1998, p. 13). This was the fourth branch of the successful restaurant chain to open in Scotland after venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. Before Pizza Express, a restaurant called Hobson's had occupied the building. A notable historic occupant of this site was William "Sweetie" Thomson's confectionery shop. It traded on the corner of Summer Street for more than half a century. This section of Union Street has unusual numbering. The block to the east of Gilcomston South, a branch of NatWest until 2022, is 262 Union Street. Pizza Express beyond Summer Street is 402-406 Union Street. To the west of Pizza Express is nos. 408-412. For a long time this has been the location of a branch of WHSmith. Diane Morgan explains that historically 412 was the West End Bookshop, known for actively encouraging children to read and having a lending library downstairs. Likely established in the 1930s, by the the mid-1950s, the West End Bookshop had become a branch of John Menzies, which was later owned by WHSmith (The Granite Mile, p. 175). The shop appears to have retained the West End Bookshop name until the late 1980s.

4453

A photograph by Roddy Millar, taken 05/06/2024, from a series surveying the architecture of the north side of Union Street. This image looks north east across Union Street towards the southern elevation of 146 Union Street and 1-3 Union Terrace. This building was constructed 1882-85 by master mason John Morgan (1844-1907), to a design by A. Marshall Mackenzie (1848-1933), of Messrs Matthews & Mackenzie, for the Northern Assurance Company. Diane Morgan in The Granite Mile states that the Northern Assurance Company building replaced the townhouse of Harry Lumsden of Belhelvie, which had stood at 1 Union Terrace for approximately 80 years (p. 107). An article from the Aberdeen Journal of 08/11/1882, p. 5, indicates that, in addition to the house at 1 Union Terrace, the following buildings were purchased and demolished to make way for this office block: the corner house, formerly occupied by the Northern Club, and latterly by Watson's West End Restaurant, and no. 237 Union Street, which was occupied by Messrs Reid & Wilsone, advocates. The ground floor Union Street side of the building features four tall windows capped by triangular pediments. To the left of them is an ornate side entrance with a semi-elliptical pediment. Diane Morgan describes the channelled stonework (banded pulvination) of the ground floor as "quite spectacular" (p. 109). Morgan also highlights the myriad of detail on the building's façade, including the carved garlands decorating the frieze above the first floor's coupled Ionic columns. Note also the egg-and-dart carving on the capitals of these columns. Both features are used across the building. High on the 1st floor façade of the building are four medallions, two shown here. The one on the right shown here, closer to the main entrance, features a representation of the three castles from the heraldic shield of Aberdeen. One depicting the shield from London's coat of arms, a cross of St. George with a sword in the 1st quarter, is on the other side of the portico. These two medallions represent the Aberdeen and London boards of the company. The outer two medallions, located at either end of the building feature the lion rampant that was the logo of the Northern Assurance Company. The office space on the 3rd floor, at the very top of the building, was expanded with the addition of a new modern roof structure between 2012 and 2015. This can be seen at the top of this image. Diane Morgan states that the Royal Insurance Co. merged with the Commercial Union in 1968, with other mergers and takeovers following. The building ceased being an insurance office around 100 years after its construction. In December 2003 the ground floor reopened as a bar and restaurant called The Monkey House, taking its name from the building's traditional nickname. Much of the interior of the historic building was retained in its conversion. The Monkey House, which was run by Epic Group, closed in May 2016 following its owner agreeing to lease the premises to a Thai restaurant operator. The Leeds-based Thai Leisure Group opened Chaophraya Aberdeen later that year and it can be seen in this 2024 image.

4549

One of four images showing Udny Academy, or its former site, that featured in Progress Report of the Education Committee for the Years 1952, 1953, 1954 (1955) by the Council of the County of Aberdeen. This photograph looks north west and shows the eastern, front elevation of the now demolished school building. It was located on the western side of Udny Green. The following information accompanies the four images in the abovementioned publication on page 40: "At Udny a temporary building had been erected some years ago on the school site, and very little playground space remained. To extend the playground it was proposed to take in an adjoining piece of ground on which stood a dilapidated building which had been offered free of charge to the Committee by Lord Belhaven and Stenton. The proposal to demolish this building proved unexpectedly controversial. It had no particular architectural merit, but some thought it a notable feature of the village and others wished it to be preserved because of its historical associations, as it was formerly the building of Udny Academy. It was found impossible to reconstruct the old building at reasonable cost either for school use or for housing, and after much debate it was demolished. The first two photographs show back and front views of the building, and well illustrate its derelict condition. The third shows the general untidiness of the site, the old building obscuring most of the present school behind it. The fourth shows the site from almost the same angle, but after the building had been removed, the area tarmacadamised, the trees felled, the wall rebuilt and the railings restored. "A historical note on the Academy is perhaps appropriate here. George Bisset was appointed in 1784 schoolmaster of the parish of Udny and in 1786 he added to the school a boarding establishment which he called the 'Udny Academy.' It became an important school and attracted to it many of the sons of the county gentlemen in the north of Scotland. George Bisset died in 1812 and was succeeded by his son James, then not quite 17 years old. In spite of his youth he ran the school successfully till 1826 when he became parish minister of Bourtie. Marischal College conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1850 and he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly in 1862, the year in which he died. From 1826 the Academy was continued with success for some time by James's younger brother, Udny Bisset, but his health failing, the Academy was given up in 1834 or 1835. "The Academy seems to have been efficiently conducted during almost the whole of its fifty years of existence. The author of the New Statistical Account of the parish, writing in 1840, says, 'The Academy was the means of giving better education to the parishioners than any of their neighbours had an opportunity of obtaining. Many of the younger farmers belonging to the parish, who received their education at Udny Academy, attended several sessions at the Aberdeen Universities. Some of the parishioners' sons became professional men, who, had it not been for the Academy, would have been in humble life'. He adds, 'There is not a person in the parish above fifteen years of age who cannot read and write'." The 1955 County Council publication goes on to state that "several men of note received their education at the Academy" and gives Sir James Outram (1803-1863), an army officer in the East India Company noted for his actions against the Indian Rebellion of 1857, as being the most famous. It has been suggested the journalist and historian Joseph Robertson (1810-1866) also attended the Academy (Evening Express, 20th February 1953, page 5).

4550

One of four images showing Udny Academy, or its former site, that featured in Progress Report of the Education Committee for the Years 1952, 1953, 1954 (1955) by the Council of the County of Aberdeen. As noted in the publication's errata, the caption visible here is missing the word "demolished" after "which was". This photograph looks north east and shows the western, rear elevation of the now demolished school building. It was located on the western side of Udny Green. The following information accompanies the four images in the abovementioned publication on page 40: "At Udny a temporary building had been erected some years ago on the school site, and very little playground space remained. To extend the playground it was proposed to take in an adjoining piece of ground on which stood a dilapidated building which had been offered free of charge to the Committee by Lord Belhaven and Stenton. The proposal to demolish this building proved unexpectedly controversial. It had no particular architectural merit, but some thought it a notable feature of the village and others wished it to be preserved because of its historical associations, as it was formerly the building of Udny Academy. It was found impossible to reconstruct the old building at reasonable cost either for school use or for housing, and after much debate it was demolished. The first two photographs show back and front views of the building, and well illustrate its derelict condition. The third shows the general untidiness of the site, the old building obscuring most of the present school behind it. The fourth shows the site from almost the same angle, but after the building had been removed, the area tarmacadamised, the trees felled, the wall rebuilt and the railings restored. "A historical note on the Academy is perhaps appropriate here. George Bisset was appointed in 1784 schoolmaster of the parish of Udny and in 1786 he added to the school a boarding establishment which he called the 'Udny Academy.' It became an important school and attracted to it many of the sons of the county gentlemen in the north of Scotland. George Bisset died in 1812 and was succeeded by his son James, then not quite 17 years old. In spite of his youth he ran the school successfully till 1826 when he became parish minister of Bourtie. Marischal College conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1850 and he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly in 1862, the year in which he died. From 1826 the Academy was continued with success for some time by James's younger brother, Udny Bisset, but his health failing, the Academy was given up in 1834 or 1835. "The Academy seems to have been efficiently conducted during almost the whole of its fifty years of existence. The author of the New Statistical Account of the parish, writing in 1840, says, 'The Academy was the means of giving better education to the parishioners than any of their neighbours had an opportunity of obtaining. Many of the younger farmers belonging to the parish, who received their education at Udny Academy, attended several sessions at the Aberdeen Universities. Some of the parishioners' sons became professional men, who, had it not been for the Academy, would have been in humble life'. He adds, 'There is not a person in the parish above fifteen years of age who cannot read and write'." The 1955 County Council publication goes on to state that "several men of note received their education at the Academy" and gives Sir James Outram (1803-1863), an army officer in the East India Company noted for his actions against the Indian Rebellion of 1857, as being the most famous. It has been suggested the journalist and historian Joseph Robertson (1810-1866) also attended the Academy (Evening Express, 20th February 1953, page 5).

4551

One of four images showing Udny Academy, or its former site, that featured in Progress Report of the Education Committee for the Years 1952, 1953, 1954 (1955) by the Council of the County of Aberdeen. This photograph looks south west and shows the now demolished school building on the far left. It was located on the western side of Udny Green. The following information accompanies the four images in the abovementioned publication on page 40: "At Udny a temporary building had been erected some years ago on the school site, and very little playground space remained. To extend the playground it was proposed to take in an adjoining piece of ground on which stood a dilapidated building which had been offered free of charge to the Committee by Lord Belhaven and Stenton. The proposal to demolish this building proved unexpectedly controversial. It had no particular architectural merit, but some thought it a notable feature of the village and others wished it to be preserved because of its historical associations, as it was formerly the building of Udny Academy. It was found impossible to reconstruct the old building at reasonable cost either for school use or for housing, and after much debate it was demolished. The first two photographs show back and front views of the building, and well illustrate its derelict condition. The third shows the general untidiness of the site, the old building obscuring most of the present school behind it. The fourth shows the site from almost the same angle, but after the building had been removed, the area tarmacadamised, the trees felled, the wall rebuilt and the railings restored. "A historical note on the Academy is perhaps appropriate here. George Bisset was appointed in 1784 schoolmaster of the parish of Udny and in 1786 he added to the school a boarding establishment which he called the 'Udny Academy.' It became an important school and attracted to it many of the sons of the county gentlemen in the north of Scotland. George Bisset died in 1812 and was succeeded by his son James, then not quite 17 years old. In spite of his youth he ran the school successfully till 1826 when he became parish minister of Bourtie. Marischal College conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1850 and he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly in 1862, the year in which he died. From 1826 the Academy was continued with success for some time by James's younger brother, Udny Bisset, but his health failing, the Academy was given up in 1834 or 1835. "The Academy seems to have been efficiently conducted during almost the whole of its fifty years of existence. The author of the New Statistical Account of the parish, writing in 1840, says, 'The Academy was the means of giving better education to the parishioners than any of their neighbours had an opportunity of obtaining. Many of the younger farmers belonging to the parish, who received their education at Udny Academy, attended several sessions at the Aberdeen Universities. Some of the parishioners' sons became professional men, who, had it not been for the Academy, would have been in humble life'. He adds, 'There is not a person in the parish above fifteen years of age who cannot read and write'." The 1955 County Council publication goes on to state that "several men of note received their education at the Academy" and gives Sir James Outram (1803-1863), an army officer in the East India Company noted for his actions against the Indian Rebellion of 1857, as being the most famous. It has been suggested the journalist and historian Joseph Robertson (1810-1866) also attended the Academy (Evening Express, 20th February 1953, page 5).

4552

One of four images showing Udny Academy, or its former site, that featured in Progress Report of the Education Committee for the Years 1952, 1953, 1954 (1955) by the Council of the County of Aberdeen. This photograph looks south west and shows the site of the now demolished school building. It was located on the western side of Udny Green. The building shown in the background here is then current Udny Green School, which has since also been demolished. A new building, located north east across the Green, opened in 1965. The following information accompanies the four images in the abovementioned publication on page 40: "At Udny a temporary building had been erected some years ago on the school site, and very little playground space remained. To extend the playground it was proposed to take in an adjoining piece of ground on which stood a dilapidated building which had been offered free of charge to the Committee by Lord Belhaven and Stenton. The proposal to demolish this building proved unexpectedly controversial. It had no particular architectural merit, but some thought it a notable feature of the village and others wished it to be preserved because of its historical associations, as it was formerly the building of Udny Academy. It was found impossible to reconstruct the old building at reasonable cost either for school use or for housing, and after much debate it was demolished. The first two photographs show back and front views of the building, and well illustrate its derelict condition. The third shows the general untidiness of the site, the old building obscuring most of the present school behind it. The fourth shows the site from almost the same angle, but after the building had been removed, the area tarmacadamised, the trees felled, the wall rebuilt and the railings restored. "A historical note on the Academy is perhaps appropriate here. George Bisset was appointed in 1784 schoolmaster of the parish of Udny and in 1786 he added to the school a boarding establishment which he called the 'Udny Academy.' It became an important school and attracted to it many of the sons of the county gentlemen in the north of Scotland. George Bisset died in 1812 and was succeeded by his son James, then not quite 17 years old. In spite of his youth he ran the school successfully till 1826 when he became parish minister of Bourtie. Marischal College conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1850 and he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly in 1862, the year in which he died. From 1826 the Academy was continued with success for some time by James's younger brother, Udny Bisset, but his health failing, the Academy was given up in 1834 or 1835. "The Academy seems to have been efficiently conducted during almost the whole of its fifty years of existence. The author of the New Statistical Account of the parish, writing in 1840, says, 'The Academy was the means of giving better education to the parishioners than any of their neighbours had an opportunity of obtaining. Many of the younger farmers belonging to the parish, who received their education at Udny Academy, attended several sessions at the Aberdeen Universities. Some of the parishioners' sons became professional men, who, had it not been for the Academy, would have been in humble life'. He adds, 'There is not a person in the parish above fifteen years of age who cannot read and write'." The 1955 County Council publication goes on to state that "several men of note received their education at the Academy" and gives Sir James Outram (1803-1863), an army officer in the East India Company noted for his actions against the Indian Rebellion of 1857, as being the most famous. It has been suggested the journalist and historian Joseph Robertson (1810-1866) also attended the Academy (Evening Express, 20th February 1953, page 5).

179

The future of Union Terrace Gardens has been the subject of much debate over the years and its original development also led to much discussion in Town Council meetings and in the local newspapers. In 1868, the architect James Matthews suggested that the area of Union Terrace should be turned into a pleasure ground for the people and the following year this "Sketch of the Proposed Denburn Gardens", drawn by the land surveyor James Forbes Beattie, was published. It includes the area between Belmont Street to Union Terrace and from Union Street to the Royal Infirmary, Woolmanhill. The gardens are shown laid out with paths and shrubbery but Beattie has also depicted the buildings in the surrounding streets, including the recently completed Belmont Street Congregational Church. Further to the north can be seen the spire and complex of the three churches built for the West, South and East Free Church congregations in 1843-44. The buildings which remain are currently known as the Triple Kirks. A pedestrian bridge crosses the railway towards Union Terrace and the row of houses known as Denburn Terrace. These were demolished under the City Improvements Scheme of 1883 which eventually led to the construction of Rosemount Viaduct and would have stood on the site of the ornamental plot opposite the Central Library. This plan acts as a snapshot of the area and provides an interesting comparison with the modern layout of the streets surrounding the Gardens. After much discussion and negotiation with neighbouring proprietors, the Town Council sanctioned work on laying out the Gardens on the land between the wooded bank at Union Terrace and the railway. Work began in November 1877 and, when the gates were finally opened to the public on 11 August 1879, the band of Gordon's Hospital (forerunner of Robert Gordon's College) played a "selection of pleasing airs" prior the opening ceremony. The official name was now Union Terrace Gardens but it was more popularly known to generations of visitors as the "Trainie Park".

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There are currently two daily newspapers in Aberdeen - the Press and Journal and Evening Express. The Evening Express first appeared in January 1879. The Press and Journal has a much longer history being first published in January 1748 as the Aberdeen's Journal - the first newspaper to be published in northern Scotland. Its editor was James Chalmers, son of the Rev. James Chalmers, Professor of Divinity at Marischal College. After his death in 1764, his son, also James, took over the business, and he, in turn, was succeeded by his son David in 1810. Over the years there have been several rivals to the Journal's initial monopoly but the earliest was first published on 3rd October 1752 by Francis Douglas and William Murray. They called their paper the Aberdeen Intelligencer. It was supportive of the Jacobite cause whereas the Journal had Whig sympathies. The Journal notes the forthcoming appearance of its rival in an advert in 1752 and subsequent notices give some idea of the contest between the two papers. This rivalry ended in 1757 when there appears to have been an agreement that Douglas and Murray should gain an interest in the Journal while ceasing to publish their own newspaper. The last issue of the Intelligencer appeared on 22nd February 1757. Most of the conflict between the papers appears to have revolved around the cost of advertising. The population of Aberdeen and Old Aberdeen totalled less than 16,000 at this time and the available advertising revenue was unable to support both titles. Both Chalmers and Douglas reduced their prices for advertisements in 1753. By February 1757, a proposal to unite the papers had been brought to the Commissioners of Supply for the County of Aberdeen and a notice in the Aberdeen Journal of 1st February 1757 says "And as the publishers of the Intelligencer are from that time to have a concern in the Aberdeen Journal, the Intelligencer will not be published after the last Tuesday of February". In the Journal of 1st March 1757, Chalmers notes that the price of advertisements will be raised again. Unfortunately, it appears that a complete file of this short-lived newspaper has not survived in any library or archive. Individual issues may exist in private hands but the only copy held in our Local Studies collections was donated to the Public Library in 1927 by Henry Simpson, a teacher at Robert Gordon's College. It is number 96, dated Tuesday 30th July to Tuesday 6th August 1754. The City Librarian G. M. Fraser expressed his gratitude for "this only known number of that rare Aberdeen periodical" in letters to Mr Simpson in December 1927 and January 1928 when he promised that "It will be very carefully preserved". Like the Journal of that period, it has four A3 size pages of 3 columns and comprises mostly national or international news selected from other newspapers as was the custom at that time, with a few local notes on page 4, including lists of shipping arrivals and departures. The earliest original issue of the Aberdeen Journal held in our Local Collections is from 1758, but microfilm copies of the Journal from 1748 onwards are available for consultation in the Information Centre. Although few copies of the Intelligencer survive, there are references in other publications which quote some of its content. The Scots Magazine of 1753 publishes an obituary for Mrs Janet Gordon of Aberdeen who was over 100 years old and reprints a poem which appeared in the Intelligencer. In 1755, the Scots Magazine published a discussion on the new method of singing church tunes which was spreading from the parishes in north-east Scotland into the city, as described in the Intelligencer on 26th November 1754. The London Evening Post quotes a story detailing the tragic circumstances of a Highlander suffering from severe frostbite after being lost in a snow storm near Lochaber in January 1754. Despite their rivalry in newspaper printing, Douglas and Murray published the Aberdeen Almanac for 1753 jointly with James Chalmers. This little volume lists phases of the moon, days when fairs were to be held in various Scottish towns, tide tables, Sovereign Princes of Europe with their year of accession, post days and postage rates.

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The celebration of art in Aberdeen can be traced through the collection of exhibition catalogues held in our Local Studies department, including those of the Aberdeen Artists' Society from its early years to the present, through to those produced by modern galleries, local art groups and societies, Gray's School of Art and more recently the directory produced for the North East Open Studios. The origins of Aberdeen Artists' Society date back to 1827 when a group of artists resident in Aberdeen "resolved to associate themselves for the purpose of mutual improvement in Painting and the furtherance of the Art generally, in Aberdeen" and hold "An Annual Exhibition of Paintings, Sculptures and Designs". The artists in question included James Giles who was President, Alexander Fraser, Vice-President and James Troup, Secretary. Other members included Archibald Simpson. The Aberdeen Artists' Society are working with Aberdeen Art Gallery on a new program of exhibitions after the Gallery re-opens in 2017 and the annual exhibition will return in 2018/19. Check out our Treasures from our Collections interactive display to find out more about the history of Aberdeen Artists' Society.