George Swinton - Curious Edinburgh

St John’s Episcopal Church

Apr 242018

St John's Church St John’s Episcopal Church, Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 4BJ

In 1818 the growing episcopal congregation of Charlotte Chapel, Rose Street, built a new church, St John’s, on the corner of Lothian Road/Princes Street. Its wealthiest members at the time, Alexander Tod, East India Company captain; his ex-deputy, Thomas Robertson; Alexander Dyce; John Downie; and Alexander Falconer, all made fortunes in India. A memorial window (number 9) is dedicated to George Swinton, by 1833, top civil servant in India, from where he sent important scientific specimens, from elephants’ eyeballs to first samples of Burma crude oil to Edinburgh. Four of his sons served in India, three dying on active service.

The George Swinton Memorial Window.

Memorial to Alexander Bruere Tod, HEICS.

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The Royal Society of Edinburgh

India (New Town) No Responses »

Apr 242018

Royal Society of Edinburgh

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 22-26 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ

The RSE, created in 1783 for “the advancement of learning and useful knowledge” moved into this building in 1909. About 240 of its Fellows worked in India, including Sir Ronald Ross, who documented the link between mosquitoes and malaria, and Viceroy Lord Linlithgow. About 40 Fellows had Indian names, the earliest being educator, jurist, barrister and mathematician Asutosh Mukhopâdhyay in 1886. Several fellows gave the RSE Indian materials. Notably, Frances Simpson in 1819 gave four sculptures from Bihar/Bengal. George Swinton, in 1827, gave three Burmese sculptures; the head of a dugong; snakes; corals; an alligator and many other items.

Letterbox of Royal Society.

Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee.

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Edinburgh India Institute: Royal Society of Edinburgh

New Curious Edinburgh tours

On October 23 we will be officially launching our newest tour on the History of Witchcraft in Edinburgh during an event at the Edinburgh Futures Institute starting at 3pm. Please register here and hope to see you there!

On International Women’s Day 2024, we launched a new tour featuring locations in Edinburgh connected to amazing women in STEM. Celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion in STEM by taking a look at Edinburgh-connected women who have made an impact in a wide range of STEM fields.

Check out our new bird trail! We are currently working on the development of coastal trails, in collaboration with Traveltech for Scotland and the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy Scotland’s Coastal Knowledge map. Here you can upload your own experiences of the coast, including birds you have spotted.

Last year we added the Second World War tour developed by academics from the schools of Social and Political Science and History, Classics and Archeology.