Stewart Gardiner, a former Leading Drummer of the Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band carried out a great deal of research on the history of Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band and its successor, Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band.
This extensive work was published on the L& B P force website. With the advent of Police Scotland in April, 2013 and the disappearance of the remaining eight Scottish Police forces, this material was archived at the UK Web Archive run by the British Library.
The former Lothian and Borders Police Pipe Band pages contain an enormous amount of information on the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band and can be accessed by clicking the link here.
Stewart is to be commended for his efforts in recording an important part of Edinburgh Police and Scottish Pipe Band history. Thank you.
Edinburgh City Police Pipers pre-1900
Edinburgh City Police Pipers |
|
PM Alexander M. Findlay |
1882 – 1889 |
PM Alexander Hamilton |
1889 – 1890 |
List of Pipe-Majors in Edinburgh City Police 1900 - 1975
Edinburgh City Police |
|
PM Norman Graham |
1900 – 1909 |
PM Hugh Calder KPM |
1909 – 1920 |
PM Alexander Henderson* |
1920 – 1923 |
PM Alexander Henry* |
1923 – 1929 |
PM William Sutherland* |
1929 – 1931 |
PM Hance T. R. Gates |
1931 – 1941 |
PM Duncan R. Cameron |
1941 – 1949 |
PM Donald Shaw Ramsay BEM |
1949 – 1958 |
PM John D. Burgess |
1958 – 1959 |
PM Iain McLeod |
1959 – 1975 |
*PM Henderson sometimes shown as ‘Anderson’.
PM Henry sometimes shown as ‘Hendry’.
PM William Sutherland shown as ‘James Sutherland’.
List of Pipe-Majors in Lothian & Borders Police 1975 - 2012
Lothian & Borders Police |
|
PM Iain McLeod |
1975 – 1976 |
PM Harry McNulty |
1976 – 1982 |
PM Colin Forbes |
1982 – 1984 |
PM George Lumsden |
1984 – 1988 |
PM Duncan Smith |
1988 – 1993 |
PM Leslie Watson |
1993 – 1996 |
PM Kenneth McBride |
1996 – 2000 |
PM Colin R. MacLellan |
2000 – 2004 |
PM Keith Dawes |
2004 – 2007 |
PM David Barnes |
2007 – 2009 |
PM Ian Duncan |
2009 – 2011 |
PM Neil Hall |
2011 – 2012 |
Edinburgh City Police Pipers 1885 Pipe Major Findlay
Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band 1919 Pipe Major Hugh Calder
Standing L –R
PS 66 ‘B’ John Blair, PC 88 ‘A’ John Mackie, PC 79’A’ Colin Fraser Brown, PC 343 ‘C’ David Forman, PC 574’D’ William Lockie, PC 473 ‘B’ Alexander Henry, PC 504 ‘D’ William Wares, PS 61 ‘D’ William Thomas Uffendell, PC 580 ‘D’ William Gunn, PC 513 ‘D’ Alexander Latto, PC 281 ‘B’ James Gilchrist, Unknown, PC 270 ‘B’ William Stewart, PS 62 ‘D’ John Archibald, Unknown.
Sitting L –R
Unknown member of St Andrew’s Ambulance Corps, Unknown Superintendent of St Andrew’s Ambulance Corps, Unknown, Superintendent George Macauley, ‘D’ Division, Inspector Thomas Redpath, ‘D’ Division.
If you can identify any of the unknown men in the above picture, please contact the website.
Edinburgh City Police
PC 281B James Gilchrist
Afghanistan Medal (1878 - 1880) Clasps 'Charasia', 'Kabul' and 'Kandahar'
Kabul to Kandahar Star
Egypt Medal (1882 - 1889) Clasp 'Tel-el-Kebir'
King Edward VII Police (Scotland) Medal 1903 ('Visit to Scotland Medal')
King George V Coronation (Scottish Police) Medal 1911
Khedive's Star (Egypt 1882 - 1891)
Pipe Major Hugh Calder, Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band
Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band Drummer's Sporran
Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band circa 1919
PM Calder is absent. The Pipe-Sergeant is called Henderson.
Edinburgh City Police, Piper Hugh McDonald
PC 296 B Hugh McDonald
Hugh McDonald was born on 23 December, 1890 in Edinburgh. His father was William McDonald, a Tram Driver and his mother, Jeanie Black or McDonald.
The family were living at 19 Henderson Row, Edinburgh in the Census of 1891.
By 1901, they were living not far away at 13 Collins Place, Edinburgh.
In the Census of England, 1911, Hugh McDonald is recorded as a ‘Private’, (20), in the ‘3rd Dragoon Guards’ stationed at ‘1st Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Dragoon Guards, Wellington Lines, Aldershot in Hampshire’.
His occupation on enlistment on 27 October, 1910 was ‘Lithographer’.
His Edinburgh City Police personnel register records under ‘Medals & Decorations’, his entitlement to a ‘Mons Star with Rose’, ‘General Service Medal’ and ‘Victory Medal’. He was therefore an ‘Old Contemptible’, one of the first British regular troops into action in France during World War 1.
The 3rd (Prince of Wales) Dragoon Guards were serving in Egypt at the declaration of war in 1914 and were recalled to the UK. Arriving in October that year. Shortly afterwards they were posted to France landing at Le Havre on 1 November, 1914. On arrival, they joined the 6th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division and served in this formation until the end of the war on the Western Front.
He was discharged from the Royal Tank Corps, Number, 388431 (D/5280) at Canterbury in Kent. The record shows his date of marriage to Catherine Fraser Watt at Edinburgh on 4 November, 1915 and the birth of their son, William McDonald, born 13 March, 1917 at 82 Rose Street, Edinburgh. The father, ‘Trooper Hugh McDonald, 6th Dragoon Guards’, registered the birth.
Hugh McDonald’s Medal Index Card (MIC) and his Army Record of Discharge both show that he entered France on 16 August, 1914, possibly with the 6th or 4th Dragoon Guards as number D/5280.
The 3rd (Prince of Wales) Dragoon Guards returned to Britain in March, 1919 and were stationed at Tidworth in Wiltshire.
Hugh McDonald joined Edinburgh City Police on 15 July, 1919 as PC 296 B.
His previous occupation was also recorded as ‘Lithographer’.
He was a member of the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band.
Between 1924 and 1931, he was commended for ‘vigilance and activity’, vigilance and energy’, ‘activity and vigilance’ and ‘alertness and resource’, all for the arrest of thieves, shop breakers and house breakers so he was clearly an active officer.
On 18 October, 1932, he transferred to A Division.
Whilst still a serving officer in Edinburgh City Police, Hugh McDonald, (48), married to Catherine Fraser Watt, died in Ward 18 of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. His usual address was 150 Crewe Road East, Edinburgh. Catherine McDonald, his widow, registered his death.
I have more details on his Army service as well as his service in Edinburgh City Police and I am aware that some family members are tracing the family tree. Please get in touch and I will be happy to share those details.
Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band between 1923 - 1929. Pipe Major Alexander Henry & Pipe-Sergeant William Sutherland
Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band 1928 Pipe Major Alexander Henry & Pipe-Sergeant William Sutherland
Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsay
On the amalgamation of Edinburgh City Police with Lothians & Peebles Constabulary and Berwick, Roxburgh & Selkirk Constabulary in May, 1975, the band changed its name to Lothian & Borders Pipe Band.
This is the Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band with Pipe Major Duncan Smith, in Princes Street, c1988.
Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band accoutrements
All of the pictures above and below, with the exception of that with PM Duncan Smith in 1988, are courtesy of Stewart Gardiner, a former Leading Drummer in the Lothian & Borders Police Pipe Band. Thanks Stewart.