Midlothian Advertiser, Friday 6 October 1916. This First World War report describes gifts collected by Corstorphine Parish Church for wounded servicemen at Bangour Military Hospital. It is a later Edinburgh-area history source, outside James McLevy’s lifetime.
Original newspaper report
PARISH CHURCH GIFT SERVICE.
The annual gift service in connection with Corstorphine Parish Church took place last Sunday forenoon. Despite the many demands made on the members of the congregation, the contribution of gifts, while not so large as last year, was most gratifying. The gifts consisted of many good things, comprising cakes, honey, jam, home-baked scones, sweets, cigarettes, game, and many other delicacies to cheer the hearts of our wounded Tommies.
The Rev. James Ferguson, minister of the parish, and Chaplain to the Forces, conducted the service.
Early in the afternoon the gifts were conveyed to Bangour Military Hospital in three motor cars, kindly lent for the occasion by Messrs James I. Davidson, J.P., Saughton House; County Councillor Daniel Brown, Inverallan; and Robert Dick, slater, Manse Road.
These three energetic members of the Committee, Mrs Douglas Brown, Miss Peat, and Miss Bullions, travelled to Bangour, as also did County Councillor Douglas Brown. After handing over the gifts and making a visit to several of the wards, the party were entertained to tea, and afterwards returned home, happy in the knowledge that their work of mercy had helped to cheer the hearts of our brave soldiers who have been wounded in the fight for a noble and righteous cause.
Historical context
The article records local wartime charitable work by Corstorphine parishioners, including the women named as members of the committee. It also records assistance from local residents who provided motor cars to transport the gifts to the hospital. The report dates from 1916, more than forty years after McLevy’s death; it is included here as a separate Edinburgh-area historical newspaper source, not as evidence about his career.
Source: Midlothian Advertiser, Friday 6 October 1916, “Parish Church Gift Service”. Transcribed from a screenshot supplied from the British Newspaper Archive. The screenshot credits Reach PLC and the British Library Board; the scanned newspaper image has not been reproduced here.
Transcription note: This text is based on the supplied screenshot, which may not show the whole surrounding page. Names and punctuation have been checked against the legible passage.
