Baird Smith Memorial Lasswade, Scotland
Listed Building Data
Baird Smith Memorial has been designated a scheduled monument in Scotland with the following information. Please note that not all available data may be shown here, minor errors and/or formatting may have occurred during transcription, and some information may have become outdated since listing.
- Historic Scotland ID
- 398881 (entity ID)
- Building ID
- 50605
- Category
- C
- Name
- Baird Smith Memorial
- Parish
- Lasswade
- County
- Midlothian
- Easting
- 330209
- Northing
- 666138
- Date Listed
- 4 October 2006
Listed Building Description
Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.
Circa 1861. Memorial to Dr Richard Smith and his son Richard Baird Smith. Sandstone ashlar. Tall ornately carved Celtic cross, inset with bronze roundels with bas relief profiles, rising from double sarcophagi. Set on large square plinth with carved frieze, shields with Masonic symbols and rope-mould edging. Stepped paved surround with dwarf boundary wall and railings.
Listed Building Statement of Special Interest
Text courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.
The Baird Smith Memorial is a large and imposing monument, set apart by the quality and quantity of its carved details. Its wealth of decorative carving and bronze plaques gives it a grand appearance. It commemorates two important local figures. Dr Richard Smith was a surgeon in the Royal Navy and moved to Lasswade in 1818 to take up private practice. He was highly respected in the area and was known for his dedication to his patients. His eldest son Richard Baird Smith, was born in 1818 and raised in Lasswade. He trained at the East Indian Company's Miltary College and was commissioned into the Madras Engineers. Appointed Chief Engineer of Delhi in 1857 Baird Smith was instrumental in the recapture of that city, which marked the beginning of the end of the Indian Mutiny. A consequence of this was the introduction of direct rule of India by the British crown. Baird Smith was honoured for his part in suppressing the mutiny. The memorial was 'ERECTED BY THE COUNTRYMEN AND FRIENDS OF FATHER AND SON, BOTH HERE IN SCOTLAND AND IN INDIA'. The memorial was refurbished in 2004-5.
Listed Building References
Text courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.
1st Edition Ordnance Survey (1892-4). Dalkeith Presbytery Records, 19 July 1864 (not seen). Dictionary of National Biography (1993), Vol 18, pp513-515. The Baird Smith Memorial Information Board.
