Abijah's Investiture

19 July 1903

My Dear Auntie

I got yours of the 15th enclosing one from Jack, which I am keeping until I write this week. We were sorry to hear that Lize had been ill but trust she is all right again. We are all well save Willie who has a cold and a nasty cough. We are blaming their manoeuvres at the baths for it. They sometimes are in far too long. They have got the results of their school marks and exams and they have all done very well. Maggie is second in her class in English and she gets 8 certificates. Willie gets 4th prize in English and 4 certificates. Robert and Douglas Thomson tie for first prize in their division but I don't know about his certificates or if he is to get any. Willie and Robert have their breaking up day on Tuesday while Maggie's is on Thursday. Our place in Ettrick is not let for July and the people are going to let us in before the 1st of August. I expect to get away on Thursday 30 July. It will be a great advantage as Saturday is such an awkward day for the first of August. Mrs Robertson, Rillbank, had the operation peformed on her cheek on Saturday 11th inst and it was very successful. She has got well over it and was out for a little today.

You will be glad to hear that I got safely through my investiture. Ralph and I arranged to go together and it was a great comfort to have his companionship. I got the enclosed letter and instructions on Tuesday and send them on to let you read and digest them but be sure to return them as I wish to preserve them. I also got a card of admission with my name on it but I had to give it up to the Lord Chamberlain so I cannot send it. We travelled to London on Friday by the 10.15 train to Euston and had a fine day notwithstanding the heavy drizzle there was in Edinburgh. We meant to put up at Cranston's Waverley - the new one in Southampton Row - but it was full. For six months past no one has been able to get rooms there unless they had engaged them beforehand. They directed us to a private hotel in a neighbouring street - a very nice quiet homely place - and we got accommodation there. They could only give us one room but as it was a large room with an immense bed that would have held four of us it suited us well enough. There was a thunderstorm with very heavy rain during the night and it was wet in the morning. It faired, but did not clear up, before we set off for the palace. We went in a hansom and were a little afraid that we would be a little singular in this respect, and that most would go in private carriages. We found however that hansoms were in a very decided majority. The old Queen would not allow anything but a private carriage within the quadrange but the King is not so strict, and we joined in the procession and drove in through an archway into the quadrangle. There were servants in red livery directing the drivers where to go and we were set down at a porch and entered at a grand staircase which went up both to the right and left. We first went to the right up about a dozen or 15 steps and left our coats and hats, getting a ticket with a number just like an ordinary cloakroom. Then we came back and mounted the opposite stair. This is a splendid lofty hall and staircase. The stair will be 25 or 30 feet wide and covered with red carpet. There were lots of pillars but no statues or pictures or ornaments. This stair led to a corridor. Some were here directed to a room on the right. I think these were the recipients of the KCB and CB orders. We were shewn along the corridor, there being me in uniform at intervals, some with sticks or wands and others simply in uniform. We were shewn into a fine reception room, a handsome lofty apartment, the ceiling decorated and gilt. Five or six high windows on one side looked out to the Palace garden. On the opposite side were 7 portraits, very large, the centre one being George IV in full robes, with his immense neckcloth and his crown on a table at his side. The others I did not know but they were evidently princes and princesses, I suppose of George III's family. Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The walls were a pale greenish blue but between pictures and pilasters there was not much wall to be seen. The ends of the room were almost entirely taken up with two big double doors at each end with mirror panels and between the two doors were fireplaces and mirrors over them. Between the windows were tables with large vases on them, and all along the wall opposite the windows were tables, mahogany, with gilt ornaments and similar large vases - Indian I think - on them. The chairs had gilt frames and were upholstered in red silk damask. The windows were hung with red damask curtains and lace curtains also. The carpet was red and there was a parquetry border. Down the middle of the room was a very large mahogany table with no cover or anything on it.

Here we had to wait for nearly an hour. Mr Deffell came round and checked our names on his list. Afterwards an officer came and he stuck a little brass hook into the breasts of our coats. There were thirty or more of us and most of them were in levée dress. This is the velvet swallowtail and knee breeches, silk stockings, shoes with steel buckles and a sword with steel hilt and mountings. None of these had any medals or decorations. (The admission card intimated that medals and decorations were to be worn.) A few were dressed in civil uniform, which is black cloth swallowtail and trousers with gold facings and sword with gilt hilt and mountings. A good number were in ordinary evening dress. One had three medals. I think he would be in the consular or diplomatic service. Ralph and I who had got new evening dress suits for the occasion wore our Volunteer Long Service medals. One man wore a scarlet uniform of a Major in the Volunteers and he wore the VD (Volunteer Decoration) medal. He was not particulalry martial in appearance. In fact there were very few good-looking men in the place. Ralph and I were much struck with an uncouth looking chap. I thought he was like a country joiner, but Ralph said he was more like a quarryman. This turned out to be Calder, one of HM Ispectors of Schools. There was one lady - Miss Brown of the Post Office. She was plainly dressed in a fawn-coloured dress with a modest train, and she wore a toque. But I am no hand at describing ladies' dresses. She was tall and handsome and looked extremely well and quite at her ease.

En suite with this room we were in for so long was another room through which we went. It was smaller and had no table. The walls were in blue and the chairs were in blue silk damask with gilt frames. This led into a further room which had a rounded end. It was evidently a music room for there were two grand pianos and music stands etc. The floor was parquetry and there was no carpet, only a few Persian rugs. There were two huge Chinese of Japanese jars with bronze ornamentation on them standing on the floor. There were no pictures in this room. A door on the right led into a picture gallery. I only saw one half of it but the pictures were magnificent. A fine Rembrandt - a portrait I think of himself - took my fancy. Then there was an immense Van Dyk and a Rubens which was a magnificent piece of fine colour. We marched up to the end of this gallery from which a door to the right led into the room where the King was. Here we gave up our tickets which were passed on to the Lord Chamberlian who proclaimed the name of each man in a loud clear voice. Each man stood at the door till his name was called, then he marched straightforward till he was opposite where the King sat. Then he turned to the left, bowed, advanced ot the King, knelt with his right knee on a footstool just in front of the King, while His Majesty took the medal, which was handed to him on a red velvet cushion, and hung it on the hook htat had previously been put in the breast of the coat. I got on fine with all this. When the Lord Chamberlain sang out "Mr Abijah Murray to be a Companion of the Order", in I went, turned, bowed, advanced, knelt and when the King had hung on the medal I raised my right arm in front of me bent at the elbow and with the back of the hand uppermost. The King laid his palm on the back of my hand and I raised the back of his hand to mu lips. Then I rose, bowed, stepped back, and then crossed to the other side of the room. Each time that I bowed, he bowed and smiled. He was sitting on a low chair or throne and did not look half so majestic as the officers who were standing on the dais behind and beside him. Opposite him was a row of gentlemen at arms, fine looking men in grand uniform with spears or Lochaber axes or some weapon of that kind. After passing the King we went round the end of this line and away out into another room where a chap whipped out the medal and another the hook out of my coat. The medal was then put in a dark red leather case with "Imperial Service Order" in gold letters on the lid, after which I was shown out into the same corridor, went downstairs, got my coat and hat, got one of the Royal footmen to help me on with my coat, then out to the door, enterered the first hansom that came up and drove off in heavy rain. And so ended my investiture.

Resumed 21 July 1903

After lunch we packed up our traps and took them to the station. I then took a bus for Vicoria Station with the object of going to Wandsworth, but before reaching Victoria a thunderstorm and a deluge of rain came on and I had to dismount and run for shelter. I reached Wandsworth about 5 o'clock and spent the evening there. They are all well. I saw all but Malcolm, Charlie and Jim. Maggie is looking well and was very grand as she was dressed to go to Nancy's school garden party. They are all still in their old house and have apparently not made any great effort to get a new one. Sissy I thought was looking thin. Nancy has grown very tall but she seems to be quite as lame as ever and she rolls in her walk quite as much. They say that her foot is straighter and that her other foot which was beginning to get bent is now straight, but I must confess that I did not recognise much difference. She looks well, however, and is fatter and has a better colour. Robert came in in his London Scottish uniform. He had been at Bisley at a scouting competition and was much disappointed that his team did not win. He is the same light-hearted, talkative youth as of old. John has grown tall and is not quite so bonny as he used to be. Willie also is growing fast and so is Alick who is a very bright boy. It was he who opened the door to me and he did not know me. He told his mother afterwards "I didn't know it was Uncle Abijah. I thought it was a Gentleman." You will be interested to hear that Dr Brodie has just married for the fourth time. He is 82 years of age and his wife is about 60. She was lady help in the family of his third wife and is very nice, good-looking, well educated and cultured. Gertrude Smiles is very poorly and suffers a great deal. Her feet are now very bad and she walks with great pain, but she has no intention of giving up her work until she is actually forced to do so. She is going for a holiday to some place in the west where Dot is. Mary is well. She is lady help in a family and gets home every night which seems to suit her better than staying all the time. Jeanette is leaving Margate and coming to the north of London to stay. Her eldest boy is to be an electrical engineer and she is removing so that he may attend a technical college. Miss Cath Hewit had been to see the Macfarlanes. She is in Glasgow at present. She had some thought of settling in Edinburgh but is afraid it would be too cold for her.

I do not remember what more news I got but I was there till after 10 o'clock. I left London by the 11.50 train and was home about 8.45 on Sunday morning. I started this letter on Sunday evening but did not get it finished and last night I was at a deacons' meeting and had not time to continue it.

I enclose a rough sketch of the scene of the investiture and of the decoration which is I think very tasteful and elegant.

Miss Crowe, the eldest, is to be married on Thursday to a Mr Davidson, an electrical engineer in Manchester. The Gladstone Terrace ladies are here. Mrs Rathay had been getting a lot of teeth out so she has not been presentable and we have not seen them. Mama had a visit from Mrs Tosh yesterday. She had been house-hunting for her son - the architect - who is coming with his family. Andrew was at Cupar yesterday.

Tom Cooper got a bursary at Watsons and Archie Kennedy and Gus Fry have got foundations. We were at the Concert tonight in the Synod Hall. The singing of the boys was very nice and some of them did the Trial Scene from the Merchant of Venice very well. Portia and Shylock were capitally done.

Did I tell you that Aunt Ellen Walker was here one day last week? She is not looking quite so well as usual, evidently Mary Jane's death has told on her. You will be pleased to hear that she is proposing to pay you a visit some day. We cannot induce Miss Falconer to go to Crail. The Forth Bridge would no doubt fall if she attempted to cross it.

I am glad to hear that Mrs Knox is improving and able to enjoy her drives. The weather last week was very wet and cold but it is improving now. Mama got her strawberries today and made jam. Maggie has started to ride Mama's bike and it suits her fine. Kind remembrances to Lize and all others - Your affectionate brother, Abijah Murray.

There are a number of documents associated with the Investiture as follows:

7 July letter with notification of the date of the Investiture at Buckingham Palace on 18 July; and advice on the dress code.