209 votes, 208 comments. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. In 1806 he was impeached for the misuse of public funds, and although found not guilty he never held office again. A special scaffold known as a ‘crowsnest’ had to be built around the top of the column, to enable conservators to get access. The Statue of James Clerk Maxwell, the greatest physicist of the Victorian era, stands at the east end of George Street. The statue on a tall column in Edinburgh's St Andrew Square was funded by voluntary subscription. The statue is one of several across the city to be targeted following the anti-racism protests that took place in Holyrood Park over the weekend where thousands of activists descended on the Capital to show their support for action against racism. Statue of Robert Viscount Melville, Melville Street, Edinburgh, daubed with anti-slavery graffiti. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. The statue of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, sits on a square pillar on top of two large stone steps in the centre of Melville Crescent. It could be that its sheer size means people don’t look up to take in the whole thing, or perhaps there is still some uncertainty about the man it commemorates. The statue is specially designed, with many of the facial features exaggerated so the sculpture has an impact from a distance. Scottish charity No. Many of those who have played a key role in shaping Scottish identity, culture, politics and scientific advancement are commemorated in permanent memorials of stone or bronze, which are often on the ‘must see’ list for visitors to the city. SC037183. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. In Edinburgh’s St Andrew's Square, there is a statue dedicated to 18th Century politician Henry Dundas, which is also known as the Melville Monument. The pillar has now been defaced with graffiti, as was… The Melville Monument in St Andrew Square is one of the most prominent landmarks in the city, but unlike the Scott Monument, for some reason it rarely features in classic views of Edinburgh. and breeches, and has a large cloak over his right shoulder, which he holds together in front of him with his right hand. Hotels near Melville Monument: (0.09 mi) Cheval The Edinburgh Grand (0.07 mi) Ibis Styles Edinburgh Centre St Andrew Square (0.08 mi) Le Monde Hotel Edinburgh (0.09 mi) InterContinental Edinburgh The George (0.09 mi) Travelodge Edinburgh Central Princes Street; View all hotels near Melville … As Home Secretary he used his influence to frustrate efforts to end the slave trade. See why it was listed, view it on a map, see visitor comments and photos and share your own comments and photos of this building. Exploring Edinburgh … Edinburgh, United Kingdom - June 22, 2015: Melville Monument and Statue of James Clerk Maxwell, Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2008 the Melville Monument was restored as part of the Twelve Monuments Project, a joint initiative of Edinburgh World Heritage and the City of Edinburgh Council. Dundas was a British statesman, the son of Henry Dundas, the 1st Viscount. Dundas trained as a lawyer but went on to have a highly successful political career, becoming MP for Midlothian in 1774 and shortly afterwards a government minister. Work on such a tall column presents many issues, but it was the conservation of the statue which proved particularly tricky. Melville Statue, Melville Street, Edinburgh Statue of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville (1771-1851), in Melville Street, Edinburgh. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. pic by Terry Murden @edinburghelitemedia Filename SCT_EEm_Melville_Statue_TM130620200006.jpg ... which stands on Melville Street in Edinburgh. Statue of Lord Melville. Burn’s design was inspired by the Trajan’s Column which stands in Rome and was built in 113 AD. The architect William Burn chose to build the column based on a design inspired by Trajans Column in Rome dating back to 113 AD. Neque in quod animi perspiciatis. Edinburgh - Edinburgh, Melville Street, 2nd Viscount Robert Melville Statue - 20140426183559.jpg 2,112 × 2,816; 1.49 MB 2nd Viscount Robert Melville Statue Edinburgh Scotland (Q17570757).jpg 5,955 × … Get the latest updates on our work in the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage site, plus news, events and exclusive offers. He certainly suffered from prejudice, and many of his enemies mocked his supposedly rough manners and broad Scottish accent. Robert Saunders Dundas, the second Viscount Melville Dundas Street… ©JPIMedia Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Dundas was an important confidante for the king at a time of very strained relations with the Prince of Wales, and tried to use this influence to gain better recognition for Catholics in Ireland. Words have been spray-painted on the base of the Robert Dundas statue in Melville Street saying: “Son of slaver Dundas colonialist profiteer”, “George Floyd” and “BLM.”. Furthermore, the Melville Monument, an obelisk erected in 1812 on Dunmore hill, overlooking the scenic village of Comrie in Perthshire, commemorates his life. Graffiti has appeared on a second statue in the Capital following the Black Lives Matter protests. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. The Melville Monument is a good example of how the meaning of the city’s landmarks can change over time. Melville wears a jacket with a badge (the Order of the Garter?) 33.2k members in the Edinburgh community. Pariatur nemo excepturi incidunt eius, vitae rerum, The Melville Monument is a momentous structure located in the middle of St Andrew Square in New Town. The Robert Dundas statue is the second of the Melville statues to be defaced in Edinburgh following the Black Lives Matter protest, It is understood this statue has been targeted due to Robert Dundas being a relation of Henry Dundas, a man known for deliberately delaying the abolition of slavery to protect the elite, The graffiti on this statue comes after the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square memorialising Henry Dundas was targeted by activists following the protest in Holyrood Park on June 7, While the statues of Robert and Henry Dundas have been subject to a stream of graffiti, other statues have been more severely damaged across the country, including the memorial of Edward Colston, a slave trader in Bristol, whose statue was toppled and thrown into a river by BLM activists, This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). ... "This represents Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (1742 - … Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. In places crumbling stonework was consolidated, but in others entirely new pieces were carved. The statue of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, towers over St. Andrew Square. Letter from john Wauchope to Lord Melville. Public Monuments and Sculpture Association: Edinburgh Standing bronze figure of Melville leaning on a square pillar, on top of two large stone steps. The statue is specially designed, with many of the facial features exaggerated so the sculpture has an impact from a distance. Find business profiles with contact info, phone numbers, opening hours & much more on Cylex. Sky with clouds is in background. These four-storey townhouses are a classic terrace which has been converted into opulent modern apartments. Later on it was decided to place a statue of Dundas on top of the column, modelled by Francis Chantrey, the leading sculptor of his day. pic by Terry Murden @edinburghelitemedia Filename SCT_EEm_Melville_Statue_TM130620200008.jpg Graffiti covers a statue of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, on Melville Street in Edinburgh (Image: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images) The documentary includes details of the campaign by Heriot-Watt professor Sir Geoff Palmer to have the wording on the plaque changed to include details of the role Dundas played in delaying abolition. Melville Street offers six high-specification apartments in the desirable city centre location of Edinburgh’s West End, within easy walking distance of George Street for shopping, Stockbridge for dining and the Water of Leith for walking. Get the Edinburgh stories that matter to you sent straight to … A subreddit for those who love the city, or live here and want to talk about it … Lisa Williams of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association takes us on a tour of Edinburgh with a difference… In the heart of the New Town. In 2008 the Melville Monument was restored as part of the Twelve Monuments Project, a joint initiative of Edinburgh World Heritage and the City of Edinburgh Council. Edinburgh World Heritage/The Melville Monument, The Melville Monument in St Andrew Square is one of the most prominent landmarks in the city (Image via Stravaiging). A statue (1818), by Sir Francis Chantrey, of Dundas stands against the north wall inside Parliament Hall in Edinburgh. GD51/5/74. Check out Melville Street, Edinburgh road map. To reassure them the lighthouse engineer Robert Stevenson was brought in to advise the project. “The fact that the statue that dominates the Edinburgh skyline is of the guy who delayed the abolition of the Transatlantic slave trade is something we can’t just ignore.” Also known as the “Grand Manager of Scotland”, Tory politician Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville played a … After Melville’s death a fine statue of him by John Steell was in 1857 placed at the centre of the street, at the point where it dilates on either side into the double-sided Melville Crescent (actually a diagonal square) whose plants are included in the present account. The stone column is almost 40 feet tall and the renowned lighthouse engineer was brought in to reassure local businesses and residents that it was safe. Academics have calculated that this resulted in an additional 630,000 people being transported from Africa to British colonies in the West Indies. Graffiti that reads "Son of slaver and Colonialist Profiteer" has appeared on the statue of Robert Dundas 2nd Viscount Melville, son of Henry Dundas 1st Viscount Melville, in Melville Street, Edinburgh. Read our privacy policy. An Edinburgh statue has been targeted with anti-slavery graffiti. The fluted column is 150 feet tall, something which caused some consternation among nearby businesses. ... Robert Viscount Melville statue, Melville Street . voluptatum distinctio nulla nostrum cumque ex neque inventore quae minus! Edinburgh statues and sculptures. Why then would anyone build a monument to this ‘monster’? The monument is dedicated to Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville who is also the figure on top of the structure. The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act finally entered the statute books on 25 March 1807. The simple fact was that Dundas was very good at working the corrupt system of Georgian politics, and many people in Scotland had benefited from his goodwill. In fact, the monument was paid for, not by the government, but as a plaque on it records, ‘by the voluntary contributions of the officers, petty officers, seamen and marines’. Group will consider statue removal, as well as revising street and building names It follows protests over the Melville monument in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh By Katie Weston For Mailonline At the outbreak of war with France he became Minister for War, and many historians blame him for much of the lack of organisation and confused planning in the campaigns that followed. English: Statue of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville in one of Edinburgh's grandest streets, named after him. Edinburgh World Heritage. Today the figure it commemorates is largely forgotten, and instead people appreciate it as another part of the city’s extraordinary architectural heritage, an impressive backdrop to our daily lives. It accompanied a copy of the contract agreed betweeen The Lord Provost of Edinburgh and Mr Chantrey for execution of the Statue, with copy of reply. Statue: Bronze (statue, reliefs and plaques), granite (pedestal) Category B-listed Leith Mural North Junction Street: 1986: Tim Chalk and Paul Grime Mural: 6 Times (6th figure) Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh The monument is at the St Andrew Square at the east end of George Street. The imposing figure who stands on the top is Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, whose nicknames of ‘King Harry the Ninth’, the ‘Great Tyrant’ and the ‘Uncrowned King of Scotland’, tell their own story. The architect William Burn decided on a design inspired by Trajans Column in Rome, which dates to around 113 AD. A 'woke' travel guide on Edinburgh's links with the slave trade calls for the removal of the statue of 18th-century MP Henry Dundas. We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. The statue of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, stands atop a 150ft column known as the Melville Monument in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) Dundas put forward an amendment to a Bill that would abolish slavery in 1792, opting for a more gradual approach. The Melville Monument is a fluted column atop which is the stone statue of Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville. He was also Keeper of the Signet for Scotland from 1800. Statue of Robert Viscount Melville, Melville Street, Edinburgh, daubed with anti-slavery graffiti. The words 'son of slaver Dundas' and 'colonialist profiteer' have appeared on the base of the Robert Dundas statue in Melville Street. Viscount Melville (or Lord Melville) was an aristocratic 18th century politician, but more importantly the King’s Chancellor, and has been described as the most powerful Scot of his day. In Edinburgh, a statue of the 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume was adorned with a placard quoting his views on white superiority. Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, has been branded 'son of slavery' and a 'colonialist profiter'. The stone statue on top of the monument was carved by Francis Chantrey the leading sculptor in Regency era Britain. Apprentice cleaning the Adam Black statue, Princes Street Gardens Each monument or statue brought its own set of challenges. The Melville Monument was designed by the eminent architect William Burn who was a pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style of architecture. 2Nd Viscount Robert Melville Statue, Melville Street, Edinburgh is a Category A listed building in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. Melville Monument Edinburgh A plaque will be installed at a monument in Edinburgh dedicated to a politician who delayed the abolition of slavery, after wording was … Registered in Scotland No.195077. The statue of Lord Melville, for example, sits on a column over 41 metres high, partly modelled on Trajan’s Column in Rome. Dundas was the Member of Parliament for Hastings in 1794, Rye in 1796 and Midlothian in 1801. Edinburgh thug attacked his own parents as they rowed over money, 'It is ice hell, a total nightmare' - Fury over lack of grit for bins as frost bites in Edinburgh. Letters and papers relating to the proposed monument to Robert Dundas, Viscount Melville, in Edinburgh. Edinburgh World Heritage gratefully acknowledges the support of. 1812. Francis Chantrey the leading sculptor in Regency era Britain uses cookies so that we can you. Of George Street cumque ex neque inventore quae minus transported from Africa to colonies... William Burn decided on a design inspired by Trajans column in Rome, which dates to around 113 AD has. Jacket with a badge ( the Order of the Signet for Scotland from 1800 into opulent modern apartments era stands. 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