People and Places

The three churches on this website give an excellent insight into the social history of the time.

St. David's, with 50 names on the memorial, illustrates the background of Fountainbridge and Dundee Street, there being only two officers in the list, and representing 2% of the total.

The Union Canal is a physical divide between St. David's and Viewforth but it is also a social divide, in that, of the 35 names on the Viewforth Memorial four are officers, roughly 11.5%.

The Viewforth Memorial is almost a middle class roll in that a high proportion of the servicemen were educated in private schools.

St. Oswalds has 32 names of which 50% were officers, and of the 32 names, 50% again were privately educated.

It is interesting to note the number of families who lost more than one son:-

• St. David's had six sets of brothers who died.
• St. Oswald's had three sets of brothers who died.
• Viewforth had two sets of brothers who died.

Whilst all of these casualties were tragic, the McGilp brothers of St. Oswald’s must rate as one the most poignant. Archibald, Hugh and John were all educated at Boroughmuir School, served with the Royal Scots, and were killed in action.