1885 Platform Party

The unveiling of the statue of Alexander Selkirk and the related celebrations have been covered here briefly before. However, the clarity of the above photograph of the 'platform party' on the day - 11 December 1885 - made me want to revisit the topic and to try to match the names recorded in the newspaper reports against the faces in the image. This blog post contains some initial deductions - can you help add more?

Present on the platform were:

David Gillies (Net Manufacturer, pictured right)
The Earl and Countess of Aberdeen (pictured below)
Thomas Stuart Burnett (sculptor of the statue) and Mrs Burnett
Major General Briggs and Mrs Briggs (Strathairley)
Colonel J Anstruther Thomson and Miss Thomson (Charleton)
Sir Archibald Campbell and Lady Campbell (Gibliston)
General Sir Frederick Hamilton and Lady Hamilton
Mr Baxter (Gilston)
Mr Davidson (Lahill)
Miss Rigg and Miss Haymes (Aithernie)
Dr and Mrs Palm
Rev David Malloch
Rev Dr Davidson
Ex-Bailie James L Selkirk (Glasgow)
Mr Wiliiam R Ketchen (Solicitor, Elie) and Miss Ketchen
Sergeant McKinnon (Colinsburgh)
Robert Gilchrist
Catherine Gillies
Samuel Gillies
James Gillies
Alexander Gillies
Miss Suttie (Cardy House, sister-in-law of David Gillies)
Mr Boothby (Springfield House)
Rev Mr McGregor (Free Church, Elie)
Mr and Mrs Stalker (Leven)
Mr John Harrow Jr (Edinburgh)
Dr Angus and Mrs Crole (Leven)
Bailie Martin (Cellardyke)

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The most instantly-recognisable individual shown is David Gillies himself - owner of Cardy Works, funder of the statue and organiser of the event. He is marked '1' on the image below. To his left (further right on the image) are the Countess of Aberdeen (marked '2') and the Earl of Aberdeen (marked '3'). Behind the Earl (and wearing a distinctive hat) might be T. Stuart Burnett (marked '4'). Behind the Countess are a number of other females, on the left edge of the platform - among them is likely to be Miss Suttie, Miss Rigg and Miss Haymes.

Hazarding a guess at the guests marked '5' and '6', these could perhaps be James L. Selkirk and William Ketchen, respectively. Selkirk is likely to have had a prominent position at the front and Ketchen was accompanied by a young relative. Both these men gave speeches during the ceremony. Guests '7' and '8' can be matched to other photographs that exist of them (further below) - they are Col. J. Anstruther Thomson and Sir Archibald Campbell. Finally, the individual marked '9' looks very much like Samuel Gillies.

Pictured left to right are Col. J. Anstruther Thomson, Sir Archibald Campbell and Samuel Gilles.

At the end of the day a special train was waiting to take the Earl and Countess away and, as it steamed off, several "fog signals" which had been placed on the rails went off. When they arrived at Thornton, they joined the express train going north. As the next day's Fife Free Press stated, David Gillies had "left no stone unturned to make the proceedings a success."