Comments on: Duke of Sutherland Obelisk, Lilleshall, Shropshire.

By: Editor

Editor — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 16:07:45 +0000

In reply to John Cartledge. Hello John. The short answer is that I don’t know - I’m not local. But having had a quick look online it would seem that the author confused the two hills. If you find out more please let me know. Thanks for getting in touch.

By: John Cartledge

John Cartledge — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 12:24:42 +0000

“On the lofty height of Titterstone hill a stately and elegant pillar has been erected to the memory of the late Duke of Sutherland.” So states the 1853 ‘History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Shropshire’ by Samuel Bagshaw (p.664, available on gutenberg.org). I have been on the summit of Titterstone Clee Hill many times and have never seen any trace of such a monument. Extensive quarrying took place on the summit in the second half of the 19th century, which could have led to removal of the structure. So, did the ‘stately and elegant pillar’ ever exist on Titterstone Clee, or did Bagshaw confuse it with the Lilleshall monument?

By: Editor

Editor — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 08:03:24 +0000

In reply to Estelle. Thanks for getting in touch Estelle and good luck with your research.

By: Estelle

Estelle — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 21:26:58 +0000

I am researching my family of Aston and leveson and visited Tixall Hall where sir Walter Aston married Elizabeth Leveson. The lilleshall sports academy has two coade lions which once sat on either side of Tixall hall. Great to actually fins that the two families are linked and to actually find the two lions today

By: Editor

Editor — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 19:33:15 +0000

In reply to Charles Cowling. Hello Charles. I did think hard about how much of the politics to include, but decided that the wolves were my real focus here. However I have tweaked the post a tiny bit after reading Roger’s comment because his comments are very important. I do love the griffins and wish I could discover more of their story.

By: Charles Cowling

Charles Cowling — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 17:22:09 +0000

I’m very much taken by the griffins. Precursors of the cockapoo?

Where a monument is raised by grateful tenantry it can pique curiosity. Was it to say thank you to a benevolent landlord or was it to appease him/her? It can provide useful context, especially if the landlord was a colossal rotter. Sutherland is reviled in Scotland where his pursuit of efficiencies sowed misery. But it’s complex, so complex, particularly in the case of Sutherland. So I think, in short, you do well not to go there. Scottish subscribers will have been those brought in to take the place of the settled population, and they did very well out of it.

I love an obelisk, especially one guarded by wolves.

By: Editor

Editor — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 14:02:00 +0000

In reply to Roger Smith. Hello Roger. I’m aware of this unpleasant history. It’s difficult to know what happened so long ago, but the tenants did subscribe to pay for the monument. Were they under duress? I don’t know the answer to that. I’ve only seen the Golspie monument under heavy cloud, which is perhaps appropriate. I’m sorry I didn’t have space to go into this aspect of the Duke’s history - I was looking at it mainly from an architectural perspective. So thanks for your useful comment. I know the tower at The Binns, a lovely landmark. Thanks for taking the time to share this information.

By: Roger Smith

Roger Smith — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 11:16:52 +0000

Dear Flaneuse
I was very surprised to read your assessment of the 1st Duke of Sutherland as ‘a man they [his tenants] considered to be a benevolent landlord’. This is certainly not the case in Scotland where he was hated as were his infamous factors James Loch and Patrick Sellar, who carried out his policy of clearing the people from the glens to make way for sheep. The clearances often involved young children and elderly people and included setting fire to the houses so that there was no chance of those evicted returning to them.
There is a huge statue of the Duke on Ben Bhraggie above Golspie known localoly as The Mannie. There have been several attempts to remove it or even blow it up! – but so far without success.
I hope this is of interest. I recently came across a cracker of a folly – Binns Hill Tower near Linlithgow. It was designed as a hilltop folly and is a perfect example of the genre. OS Landranger 65, NT052786. It’s on The Binns estate which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and there is a waymarked walk up to it from the car park at the house.
Best wishes,