Whittinghame in the Great War

We're now half way through the four years of centenaries of the First World War. The scale of the war is in many ways incomprehensible. Every village was affected - every village has its own war memorial. Whittingehame in East Lothian was no exception. Whittingehame's memorial was formally unveiled in 1920 by Arthur Balfour, former Prime Minister. Balfour had himself played a prominent role in the First World War, succeeding Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty on 25 May 1915, then becoming Foreign Secretary on 10 December 1916, a post he held until after the war.

Balfour had been born in Whittingehame House, the son of the local MP, so it perhaps was no surprise that he agreed to unveil the war memorial in the parish of his birth.

Recently, though, while looking through the records of Whittingehame Kirk Session, we came across war-time copies of the parish magazine. In the January 1915 issue, the parish minister gives a Roll of Honour:

Roll of Honour for Whittingehame Parish
Containing the names of all now in Military Service whose homes are in this Parish, or who enlisted while here.
I. At The Front
1. Second Lieutenant O H C Balfour, 60th Rifles; was in battles of Mons, Marne, and Aisne; wounded in the last; mentioned in Dispatches of Sir John French.
2. Matthew Symington Aitchison, Stoneypath, Royal Scots.
3. James Aitchison, Stoneypath, Seaforth Highlanders.
4. William Aitchison, Stoneypath, Seaforth Highlanders.
5. Staff Nurse Millicent Bruce Peterkin, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service.
6. Andrew Steel, Manse Cottage, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
 
II. Territorial Force
7. Colonel Edward Peterkin, VD,, Commanding 10th (Reserve) Battalion, the Royal Scots.
8. James Clark, Luggate, Lothians and Border Horse.
9. George Robertson, Luggate, Royal Scots.
III. In Lord Kitchener’s Army
10. David Stoddart, Papple, Seaforth Highlanders.
11. George White, Overfield, Seaforth Highlanders.
12. George Burgess, The Gardens, 5th Dragoon Guards.
13. Eric Griffin, Whittingehame House, 5th Dragoon Guards.
14. John Macintosh, Whittingehame House, 5th Dragoon Guards.
15. George Jeffrey, Home Farm, Seaforth Highlanders.
16. John Jarvis, Papple, Army Service Corps.
17. James Jarvis, Papple, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
18. James Gray, Home Farm, Cameron Highlanders.
19. George Horsburgh, Joiner’s Lodge, Army Service Corps.
20. Arthur Brett, The Stables, Army Service Corps.
21. James Dickson, Home Farm, Army Service Corps.
22. Thomas Brown, Stoneypath, Cameron Highlanders.
23. David Bisset, Newmains, Cameron Highlanders.
24. John Brodie, Westmains, Cameron Highlanders.
25. William Johnston, Westmains, Scots Guards.
26. James White, The Gardens, Scots Guards.
27. William Keiller, The Gardens, Scots Guards.
28. Alfred Pringle, Luggate, Royal Artillery.
29. Thomas Rutherford, 8th Royal Scots.

It's worth bearing in mind that in 1911, there were only 92 men aged 18 to 40 in the whole parish. This would seem to suggest that around one-third of the adult male population had signed up a full year before conscription was introduced by the Military Service Act 1916.

A year later, the parish magazine again contained a Roll of Honour

​Roll of Honour for Whittingehame Parish, January 1916
I. In Regular Army
1. Lieutenant Oswald Balfour, 60th Rifles. Mentioned in dispatches. Twice wounded. Now in England
Matthew Symington, Stoneypath, Royal Scots. Killed in battle 25th September 1915.
2. James Aitchison, Stoneypath, Seaforth Highlanders. Now in hospital in France.
3. William Aitchison, Stoneypath, Seaforth Highlanders. Now in France
4. Thomas Calder Kerr, Whitelaw, Sergeant, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Now in France.
5. William Inglis, Stoneypath Tower, Gordon Highlanders. Now at Aberdeen.
 
II. Territorial Force
6. James Clark, Luggate, Lothians and Border Horse. Now in France.
7. George Robertson, Luggate, Royal Scots. Now in Scotland
8. Thomas Rutherford, Home Farm, 8th Royal Scots. Now at Falkirk.
9. Alexander Punton Kerr, Whitelaw, 8th Royal Scots. Now in France.
III. In Lord Kitchener’s Army
David Stoddart, Papple, Seaforth Highlanders. Killed in battle on 25th September 1915.
10. George White, Overfield, Seaforth Highlanders. Now in hospital in France.
11. George Burgess, Whittingehame Gardens, 2nd Battalion Leicesters. Now in France. [Annotation Killed Mesopotamia Jan 1916].
12. Eric Griffin, Whittingehame House, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Now in France.
13. John Mackintosh, Whittingehame House, 1st King’s Dragoon Guards. Now in France.
14. John Jarvis, Papple, Field Ambulance, France.
15. James Jarvis, Papple, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Now in France.
16. David Jarvis, Papple, Black Watch, Nigg Camp, Ross-shire.
17. James Gray, Home Farm, Cameron Highlanders. Wounded in France. Now at Invergordon. [Annotation Killed]
18. James Dickson, Home Farm, Army Service Corps. Now in France.
19. George Horsburgh, Joiner’s Lodge, Field Ambulance Shoeing Smith. Now in France.
20. Arthur Brett, The Stables, Army Mechanical Transport. Now in France.
21. David Bisset, Newmains, Cameron Highlanders. Wounded. Now again in France.
22. John Brodie, Westmains, Cameron Highlanders. Twice wounded. Now at Invergordon.
William Johnston, Westmains, Scots Guards. Believed to have been killed in action.
23. James White, The Gardens, Scots Guards. Wounded seriously. Now in hospital in Manchester.
24. William Keiller, Whittingehame Gardens, Scots Guards. Believed to be wounded and in hospital. [Annotation Killed]
25. John Stoddart, Papple, attached to Entrenching Battalion in France.
26. Archibald Bisset, Whittingehame Mains, Cameron Highlanders. At Invergordon.
27. James Brown, Home Farm, Cameron Highlanders. At Invergordon.
28. Alexander Willsher, Whittingehame Gardens, King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Marine Gardens, Edinburgh.
29. Albert Sturgeon, Whittingehame Gardens, King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Marine Gardens, Edinburgh.
30. Henry Dickson, Tower Cottage, Royal Horse Guards. Regent’s Park, London.
31. Arthur Mercer, Lady Eleanor’s Cottage, Gordon Highlanders. Now at Blairgowrie.
32. James W Robertson, The Manse, 15th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Now at Gailes Camp, Ayrshire.

The number of men in service had increased a little, and five men - Matthew Symington, David Stoddart, George Burgess, James Gray, Matthew Keiller and William Johnston - had been killed and another six injured.

The toll continues to rise in the January 1917 issue of the parish magazine:

​[List of the dead]
David Stoddart, Papple.
James Gray, Home Farm.
George Burgess, The Gardens.
William Keiller, The Gardens.
Matthew Symington, Stoneypath.
William Johnston, West Mains.
Charles Fergie Russell, West Mains.
[Added in hand: James Jarvis, Papple; David Jarvis, Papple]
The following are the names of our men now in the Army, set down according to their homes.
 
From Whittingehame House, Lodges and Home Farms.
Lieutenant Oswald Balfour, 60th Rifles. Now in Greece.
George White, Overfield, Seaforth Highlanders. Now in France.
John White, Heather Lodge, 9th Royal Scots. In Yorkshire.
Arthur Mercer, Lady Eleanor’s, Gordon Highlanders. Norwich.
George Horsburgh, Joiner’s Lodge, RAMC. In France.
Arthur Brett, Whittingehame Stables, ASC, France.
Thomas Rutherford, Home Farm, Royal Scots. France.
James Dickson, Home Farm, ASC, France.
John Kerr, Home Farm, Royal Scots. France.
Thomas Macdonald, Hailes, Royal Scots. North Berwick.
Charles Sherlaw, Luggateburn, ASC. London.
 
From Papple
John Stoddart, 4th Reserve, Royal Scots. Yorkshire.
John Jarvis, ASC, Transport Section. France.
Peter Jarvis, 12th Royal Scots. France.
James Jarvis, A and S Highlanders. France. [Annotation deleted]
David Jarvis, 8th Black Watch. France. [Annotation deleted]
Victor Anderson, Scottish Rifles. Yorkshire.
 
From Whittingehame Mains
Lieutenant J F Malcolm, RFA. On way to India.
Corporal T F Malcolm, RFA. In France.
George A Malcolm, RFA. Chelmsford.
David Bisset, 3rd Seaforth Highlanders. France.
Archibald Bisset, 1st Cameron Highlanders. Ireland.
George Calder, 1st Gordon Highlanders. In hospital, Northampton.
Adam Cameron, Lovat Scouts. France.
 
From West Mains
John Russell, Royal Scots Greys. Yorkshire.
John Brodie, 5th Cameron Highlanders. In hospital, Glasgow.
 
From Luggate and Luggateburn
James Clark, Lothians and Border Horse. Greece.
John Anderson, Sergeant, 2nd Canadian Division. Now in Surrey.
George Anderson, 2nd Canadian Division. In France.
George Robertson. Royal Scots. France.
John Blair, ASC. France.
 
From Stoneypath and Stoneypath Tower
George Anderson, Royal Field Artillery. Yorkshire.
Private Inglis, Gordon Highlanders. France.
John Montgomery, Royal Scots. Queensferry.
 
From New Mains
David Bisset, 1st Cameron Highlanders. France
 
From Yarrow
John Willens, 8th Royal Scots. France.
 
From Ruchlaw
Robert Hutchison, Air Mechanical Service. London.
Robert Adamson, Ayrshire Yeomanry. Hawick.
 
From the Manse
Cadet James W Robertson, France. [Annotation Lieu].
 
Other names may be added to this list – of men who had their homes here for a time, but whose present whereabouts is not known to us – John Macintosh, Eric Griffin, William M’Lachlan, Alexander Willsher, Albert Sturgeon, John Boa, James Slight. We shall be glad to hear good news of them also. One other (James White, formerly at The Gardens) has been seriously maimed, and has been long in hospital.

By this stage, going by the 1911 population figures, roughly half of the adult males in the parish were in the armed forces. The final list is then produced in the 1918 issue of the Parish Magazine

I print a Roll of Honour for the Congregation and Parish, which is as complete and up-to-date as I can manage to make it from any information that has been given me. I look forward to making express use of it especially in our meeting for prayer on the first Sunday of 1918, as the King has suggested. First, in a special Roll by themselves, I inscribe those who have died for home and country and for the great cause of righteousness and humanity involved in this War. They were seven in number a year ago; now they are twelve. We shall not see them again in this world, but we cherish their memory; it is a very sacred memory to us; for “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
David Stoddart, Papple.
James Gray, Home Farm.
George Burgess, The Gardens.
William Keiller, The Gardens.
Matthew Symington, Stoneypath.
William Johnston, West Mains.
Charles Fergie Russell, West Mains.
James Jarvis, Papple.
David Jarvis, Papple.
James W Robertson, The Manse.
William M’Lachlan, The Gardens.
George Calder, Whittingehame Mains.
To those above written we may add the name of Robert Smith, whose family is at Stoneypath.
 
The following are the names of our men now in Army service, set down according to their homes here:
 
From Whittingehame House, Lodges and Home Farms.
Captain Oswald Balfour, 60th Rifles. Now in Greece.
George White, Overfield, 7th Seaforths. Now in hospital at Penrith.
John White, Heather Lodge, 9th Royal Scots. Now in France.
Arthur Mercer, Lady Eleanor’s, Gordon Highlanders. Now in France.
George Horsburgh, Joiner’s Lodge, SS, RAMC. In France.
Arthur Brett, Stables, ASC. In France.
Thomas Rutherford, Home Farm, Royal Scots. In hospital in Liverpool.
James Dickson, Home Farm, ASC. France.
John Kerr, Home Farm, Royal Scots. France.
Thomas Macdonald, Hailes, Royal Scots. North Berwick.
Alexander Willsher, The Gardens, 2nd KOSB. In hospital, Manchester.
Charles Sherlaw, Luggateburn, ASC. London.
 
From Papple
John Stoddart, Royal Scots. In France.
John Jarvis, ASC, Transport Section. In France.
Peter Jarvis, 12th Royal Scots. In France.
Victor Anderson, Scottish Rifles. In Palestine.
 
From Whittingehame Mains
Lieutenant J F Malcolm, RFA. India.
Corporal T F Malcolm, RFA. Received discharge.
George A Malcolm, RFA. In France.
David Bisset, 3rd Seaforths. In France.
Archibald Bisset, 7th Cameron Highlanders. France.
Adam Cameron, Lovat Scouts. France.
 
From West Mains
John Russell, Lieutenant in Flying Corps. Reading.
John Brodie, 5th Cameron Highlanders. In Netley Hospital.
 
From Luggate
James Clark, Lothians and Border Horse. Greece.
Alexander Clark, Lieutenant in Flying Corps. England.
George Robertson. Labour Service. France.
John Blair, 7th Buffs. France.
 
From Yarrow, Stoneypath etc
George Anderson, RFA. In hospital, Cardiff.
David Bisset, 1st Cameron Highlanders. France
John Willens, 8th Royal Scots. France.
Robert Hutchison, Air Mechanical Service. England.
 
Other names may be added to this list – of men who had their homes here for a time but whose present whereabouts is not know to us, as John Mackintosh, Eric Griffin, Albert Sturgeon, John Boa, James Slight.

There is no reason to suppose that Whittingehame was in any way exceptional in this regard. It just goes to show the enormity of World War I that roughly half the men of the village saw action, of whom about a quarter were killed.