Greenock Lyle Fountain - the 18 names

Around the top of Greenock's Lyle Fountain in Cathcart Square are names in gold of some of the men who were important to the town at the time the fountain was gifted to the people of Greenock by former Provost and sugar refiner Abram Lyle.  Also beneath the names are shields displaying heraldic devices and a scroll with a motto (most in Latin).  While these may be interesting in themselves, I am more interested in the names.  Who were these people and why were they important to Greenock ?

If you would like to find out more about these men and what earned them a place on the fountain then you can have a look at some more detailed information here.  The 18 names are mostly of men who served the people of Greenock in one capacity or another.

Members of Parliament - Wallace of Kelly, Baine, Dunlop, Grieve and Stewart.

Provosts - Macfie, Fairrie, Duff, Morton, Lyle and Campbell.

Councillors - Caird, Kerr, Leitch and Steele.

Others - Sir M S Stewart, Crawfurd of Cartsburn and Scott.

Finding out about these people and their families really encapsulates part of the story of Greenock up until 1880 when the fountain was opened.  You can read all about them here.

Only 18 could be chosen.  I wonder if anyone was really annoyed at being left out?

Gilded Lyle Fountain

The Lyle Fountain in Cathcart Square, Greenock has been returned after having restoration work done.  Beautifully painted in black and gold, it looks fantastic!

However, although the fountain has been back for some months, there still must be some work continuing as there are some ugly barriers around the base of the fountain.  

On 1 July 1880 the Fountain was officially unveiled in a public ceremony in Cathcart Square.  The fountain and its accompanying light were gifted to the town by former Provost (1876-1879) Abram Lyle.  Abram Lyle junior did the unveiling and a silver cup filled with water from the fountain was presented to his wife (Isabella Foster).  

Photo - Greenock Burns Club

Near the end of the ceremony, the Greenock Telegraph reports that - 

    "a young man walked coolly up to the fountain and took a drink in such a self-professed fashion that no one thought of interfering until he managed his object, and he was able to say that, after Mrs Lyle jun, he was the first party to drink from the fountain.  The young fellow was quickly followed by a woman, evidently more in need of an outward than of an inward application of the water."

The inscription on the base fountain read "With Thee there is the Fountain of Life; in Thy Light shall we see Light". 

Francis A Skidmore was the architect who designed the fountain.  Around the top of the fountain are the names of eighteen families who held prominence in Greenock at the time.  

Hopefully the barriers will soon be removed and the Lyle Fountain can be seen in its total beauty.

Inverclyde Tourist Information

There are a lot of new signs in Inverclyde which are part of the Inverclyde Heritage Coastal Trail.

There's even a new bench at Custom House Quay - not sure how you would manage to read the information if folk were sitting on it!

Information about the Custom House itself.

Information about the Quay and how many, many Scots left from here to start new lives abroad.

Two "Great Greenockians" - Abram Lyle of sugar fame - Lyle's Golden Syrup

James McLean, founder of Greenock's museum and art gallery.

Great information for tourists to Greenock.

Lyle's Golden Syrup - the Greenock Connection

Lyle's Golden Syrup - used by bakers everywhere and one of the most iconic tins in Britain.  Here's the Greenock connection - did you know that Abram Lyle (1820-1891) was born in Greenock?  In fact, he was a former provost (mayor) of Greenock in the 1870s.  His family were coopers in the town and Abram went into the shipping business, especially the importing of sugar from the East and West Indies.  He later founded the firm of Abram Lyle & Sons, sugar refiners.

Have you ever really looked at the picture on the tin?  It depicts a dead lion with a swarm of bees around it.  It seems a strange image to adorn a tin of food, but it would appear that the story behind it comes from the Bible (Judges 14:5-18) and it's a pretty horrible tale!  In the story, Samson kills a lion, the next time he passes the carcass, a swarm of bees have made a honeycomb in it.  He makes up a riddle about this "out of the strong, something sweet" - and that's why it is on the tin!  This trade mark was registered in 1904, although syrup was first put into tins in 1885.

Lyle opened a refinery in London, not far from that of his business rival, Henry Tate (of Tate Gallery fame).  The two companies were joined in 1921 after both men were dead.  Thus we have the company of Tate & Lyle, which had a refinery in Greenock until the 1980s.

So, the next time you open a tin of syrup or treacle, just remember the story of the logo and the Greenock connection! 

The Greenockian