ABOUT HALKIRK - ROSS INSTITUTE
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The Architect was Sinclair Macdonald of Thurso. The cost was about £1,400. The style of architecture was Scottish Baronial that was fairly popular at the time. The erection of the Institute completed the group of three stone buildings, which stand at the centre of the village. That group has now been listed and each of the buildings has its own listing in the Secretary of State's 'Buildings of Architectural and Historic Importance'. The group is the parish church, the Ross Institute and the Ulbster Arms Hotel. For some people in the community the Institute had become and 'old building' and the occasional comment was heard "it should be pulled down and replaced with a modern community centre". In fact the building is part of Halkirk's heritage and it is a gift. That gift and that heritage have been respected by its recent renovation (1977).
The first event to be held in the Institute was a 'Grand Two Day Bazaar' on Wednesday and Thursday, 6th and 7th September 1911. But that was not the official opening apparently. The bazaar was, as previously noted, 'for the erection and endowment of the clock tower' and it was hoped that it would raise over £500.
The bazaar was to have been opened by the Duchess of Portland from Langwell House, Berriedale, but as the Duchess was unable to be present Mr. D.P. Henderson from Stemster House opened it. Mr. Henderson in his opening remarks thanked John Ross for his gift of the building, noting that whilst it was often sad to see people go abroad in this case the emigration of Mr. Ross had become a great benefit to the parish. The opening ceremony reports indicate that there was brisk business with the total takings on the first day being £217. It appears that the Duchess of Portland and a party arrived later in the afternoon and spent a goodly sum of money on purchases.
Mrs. D.P. Henderson of Stemster House opened the second day of the bazaar and a further £130 raised. It was being anticipated that, with donations coming in, it was likely that over £500 would be raised. On the second day there was a presentation ceremony. Mr. Black, the schoolmaster, indicated that the ladies had agreed to make a gift to the donor of the Institute, John Ross. Mrs. Mackenzie, wife of the U.F. Minister, Alexander Mackenzie, made the presentation of a bedspread to Mr. John S Ross, son of the donor, who came from London, and whom promised to transmit it to his father in New Zealand. The bedspread had been made by a group of ladies of the parish. Reports in the early part of 1912 indicated that £470.18.4 had been raised and that was 'concluded as a satisfactory sum'. As part of the Bazaar Committee's promotion of the fund it published a small booklet entitled Ye Booke of Halkirk that included a profile of John Ross and other articles about the history of the parish.
The official opening took place on 8th March 1912. John Sutherland Ross opened it, the eldest son of John Ross. Mr. Ross junior lived in London at the time. Reports tell us that he was 'afterwards entertained to a complimentary dinner and a grand concert was held in the evening'.
The post of Caretaker was advertised early in the year 1912. In March 75 applicants had submitted their names. The reason for the large number of applicants was that the post included a free house within the Institute. Caretakers came and went over the years and they were constantly requesting repairs and improvements for the house. The house was kept in use until 1980 when the appointment of the caretaker no longer included the free house. By this time the standards in housing and the expectation of applicants meant that the house was no longer acceptable and there had been a move away from tied houses as a general practise. The area occupied by the caretakers' house became available for use for other purposed in the proposed renovations. It has become a large and bright kitchen and supersedes the former tiny kitchen, which adjoined the recreation room on the right side of the entrance hall.
The Institute has been the subject of continuous maintenance over the years since it was built. The minutes of the Trustees meeting confirm this. The minutes record that electricity and water were brought to the building in 1938. The Thurso and District Electricity Co. Ltd installed electricity for the sum of £42.5.0. And water installed for the princely sum of £13.6.8. During the war the Institute had the A.R.P. Warden's office ("put that light out") and was used by the church of Scotland's Huts and Canteens Committee as a recreation centre for the troops billeted in the village, and was finally requisitioned by the War Office for use by the army.
In 1953 D.M. Geddes laid a new hardwood floor in the main hall for the sum of £319. Electric heaters were installed in 1955 because the cost of coal was becoming prohibitive. And by 1960 an Improvements Committee was formed to help in the raising of funds for what was becoming an ever-growing list of necessary improvements. With the advent of the 1971 Fire Precautions Act it had become clear that afire escape would be necessary for the main hall. Funds were ultimately raised for this and other improvements that were carried out in 1975 for £11,500.
Plans for this work were drawn up as far back as December 1991, when it had become clear to the Ross Institute Association, who manages the building, that the building was in very poor condition and that the income from lets could not even cover annual maintenance. It was resolved to carry out a thorough overhaul of the building and bring it up-to-date. It was suffering from several areas of penetrating dampness, very poor heating, inadequate toilet provision, shortage of storage accommodation, and a very small kitchen.
Stockan, Sloan, and Sinclair Macdonald, architects, of Thurso drew up the plans. The final revision of the plans not only dealt with the original problems but also took into account the needs of the disabled and the elderly. The plans now included a lift from the entrance hall to the first floor where the main hall is situated and a ramp for wheelchairs leading from the street to the main entrance. Fund raising began in earnest in 1992 with the raffle of a Leyland Mini car that produced a profit of £4,400. Other fund raising events included sponsored cycle runs, Burns Suppers, Concerts and Dances. Various local clubs, associations, and individuals provided donations. A sum of over £21,000 was raised towards the project cost of £186,000. The project had to join a queue of other similar ventures throughout the Highlands seeking public funding and support. With the continuing reduction in public expenditure hopes of an early start began to fade. With the advent of the Highland Council, a change in financing arrangements for such schemes and a more limited budget, an opening for this type of project appeared in the summer of 1996.
Because the Ross Institute had detailed plans prepared and local funds already raised it was possible to move this project to the head of the queue. The funds being made available had to be used by the end of March 1997. Within months quotations were received, agreements entered into and a contract let to local building contractor, D.M. Geddes and Son. Work began in early December 1996.
Whilst there may be little of a difference to the building exterior apart from the new paintwork, there was a great deal of alterations to the interior. On the ground floor there is anew suite of toilets adjoining the entrance hall, which includes facilities for the disabled, and there is a large, bright new kitchen created from the former caretaker's flat. There is also a new storage area to the back that was created by building a new-pitched roof to cover the existing fire escape stair. A lift close to the staircase can take people up to the main floor. On the main floor the main hall, this already has a hardwood floor, has been completely redecorated and a new toilet fitted. Throughout there is a new oil-fired central heating system, new lighting, new floor coverings, and complete redecoration. In addition to the renovation of the building the Committee table and the Damascus chair gifted by David Kenneth Murray were also kindly restored by Mr. David McCarthy, Watten.
The total cost of the renovation was £189,000.
The money provided by the public bodies supporting the work
was:
However, the final payment to the main contractor, D.M. Geddes and Son, was not required until May 1988 and that amount which accounted to 5% of the total costs was held back as retention to cover any failures or problems arising after the first year of completion. This figure was £9,450.
The fund raising event at that time was the Five Grand Draw for which tickets were widely available. The winning ticket attracted a prize of £5,000 and was drawn at a special event in the Institute later that year. It was hoped that the event would be well supported and raise the bulk of the sum required by May 1988
After the building was completed, John Ross made arrangements to transfer ownership from himself to trustees of the community of Halkirk.
There were originally five legal Trustees and four co-opted trustees. The Deed appointed the then minister of the Church of Scotland, Rev. John Ritchie, the minister of the United Free Church of Scotland, Rev. Alexander Mackenzie, the school master, William Black, Alexander Coutts, a local tailor, as a nominee of the parish council, James Munro, farmer, of Houstry, as a nominee of the school board. They co-opted Alexander Bain of the Commercial Hotel, D.Y. Forbes, a local bookseller and Charles Gordon, a retired postman, and John S. Ross, the donor's son who lived in London.
The building had been erected in the memory of John Ross's parents and he requested that it be used for all time 'for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of Halkirk'. The Deed set out that the building was 'for the encouragement of literary, scientific and similar studies and pursuits'; that the Trustees shall not 'permit any intoxication liquors of any sort to be used, consumed or be on the premises in any shape or form on any pretext whatever'. This strong wording about drink reflects the strength of the Temperance Movement at that time. A local branch of the 'Order of Good Templars' was started in Halkirk in 1912 and the movement was growing throughout the county. The Deed continued to state that there were to be 'no lectures on or advocating atheism, spiritualism, theosophy, Mormonism, or any teaching controverting to the Protestant religion, nor shall the Trustees permit any sort of gambling' or 'allow the use of bad language'! Professional theatrical performances were not to be allowed, only local private performances.
As society and the community changed throughout the century so the use of the building and the role of the Trustees changed. As school boards were ended in favour of County Education Authorities so a nominee from Halkirk School Board was no longer possible, so reducing the legal Trustees to four. As education became more readily available through the 1944 Education Act, so the use of the building to help in the literary needs of the community diminished. The library with its books and daily newspapers gradually went out of use. As society became more tolerant of different religions so it became necessary to allow the Institute to be able to be used for lectures on controversial subjects and something more than the 'protestant faith'.
As a condition of the grant from the Scottish Education Act for the 1975 improvements, the clause referring to restrictions on religious lectures had to be dropped from the original Deed of Gift. This was ultimately completed by amendments to the original Deed being approved by the Court of Session in 1979. And this amendment redefined the legal Trustees as the Church of Scotland Parish Minister, the Head Teacher of the Primary School, the local Councillor and a representative of the Halkirk Community Council. With four other co-opted trustees the total number of trustees is now eight. The Ross Institute Management Association has continued in existence alongside the Trustees, but perhaps in the minds of many there is confusion as to the responsibilities of each.
With the need for further public funding to assist the recent renovations it became necessary to draft a new constitution for the management body.
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE INSTITUTE
The management of the Ross Institute is now in the hands of the Ross Institute Association. It was a requirement of the granting of public funds by the Scottish Office and The Highland Council that the running of the Institute be in the hands of a body to which anyone may be elected at an Annual General Meeting.
By a Deed of Trust dated 10th September, 1996 the Trustees, whilst retaining title to the building, placed the management in the hands of The Ross Institute Association which has full powers to set the rules for the conduct of its business and the rules for the running of the Institute.
The role of the Trustees has been reduced to one of being responsible for ensuring that the building is being used in accordance with the Deed of Trust as, the ultimate owners, of dealing with any legal matter concerning the building.
Reference is made in the Trust Deed to two ministers in the parish. In fact the Parish Church was the church building in the churchyard in Crescent Street that had been erected in 1753 with its then minister, Rev. John Ritchie. There was also the United Free Church next to the Ross Institute and which is the building still in use today. It had been built in 1886 as the New Free Church, the original Free Church having been built in 1844 in Church Street as a result of Disruption. As a result of a union between the Free Church and the United Presbyterian Churches in 1900 a new church was created called the United Free Church. The United Free Church eventually was reunited with the Church of Scotland in 1929 that set in train a 'rationalisation' of church buildings and ministries. This saw the uniting of the parish church in Bridge Street in 1934, which led to the closure of the church in the graveyard in favour of the U.F. church next to the Ross Institute. The minister of the United Free Church, the larger of the two congregations, in 1911 was Rev. Alexander Mackenzie.
But there were three ministers at that time. A church had been built at Westerdale as a Free Church in 1847 that in turn had become a United Free Church in 1900. The then minister of Westerdale Church was Rev. A. Mackay.
Members of the Ross family still live in New Zealand today.
Two granddaughters, Mrs. T. Service and Mrs. M.M. Meldrum and
one grandson, Mr. J.F. Ross all live in Dunedin. One great
grandson, the son of Mr. J.F. Ross, Tom Ross, also lives in
Dunedin. It is Tom Ross who kindly agreed to come all the way
from New Zealand to open the renovated Institute in 1997. His
wife, Dr. Jenny Coleman Ross, and his son, Hamish Coleman
Ross, accompanied him. In this way the link between Halkirk
and John Ross's family has been renewed. The family always
refer to 'Sir John' as they clearly look back with pride
and respect on their forebear. But we in Halkirk have tended
to refer to him as John Ross because it was in that name that
the village knew him when the Institute was built. The
community of Halkirk were deeply grateful to Tom and his
family coming all the way from New Zealand for the special
occasion.
Tom Ross would love to hear from anyone
in Halkirk. E-mail
Tom
A memorial plaque commemorating the event was placed in the entrance hall under the oil painting of John Ross that has been in the possession of the Institute for many years. The plaque reads:
THE ROSS INSTITUTE
This building was originally erected by John Ross. Later Sir John Ross of Dunedin, New Zealand, who was born at Gerston, Halkirk, in November 1834. It was opened on 8th March, 1912 by his eldest son John Sutherland Ross. He gifted it to the people of this Parish in 1913. Completely renovated in 1997 it was re-opened by his great grandson, William Thomas Fergus Ross, of Dunedin, On 30th August 1997.
The programme for the re-opening was as follows:
The Platform Party and others will go down to the Entrance Hall where in a brief ceremony Tom Ross will unveil the memorial plaque underneath the oil painting of John Ross.
8.00pm - THE GRAND OPENING BALL
It may be a puzzle to some that the date 1913 is on this plaque as the date above the door is 1912. The reality is that the building was erected by John Ross and completed in 1911; it was officially opened in 1912; and the Deed of Gift passing the building into the hands of this community is dated 1913.
Ó
The Ross Institute Association 1997
Written by Rev. Kenneth Warner B.D.