Plate Preservation
What strokes of genius for Jackie Macadam to find out in the course of her inquiry into uniting and linking parishes and then to tell us (February’s Life and Work) that elder Kirkpatrick Dobie – with committed help from his wife Rachel after her retirement – has completed decades of work to build a precious database of every piece of pewter and silver communion ware in the care of our churches all across the whole country! And such a fine photo of Kirkpatrick on the job too!
I wonder if the determination of another unique man – also with the help of his wife – to do all he could over the years to record and preserve pewter sacramental ware is as well known and appreciated in the Church as it should be. When the late Alex Neish of Edinburgh, São Paulo and Barcelona discovered early on that churches had begun to sell off their pewter to pay for building repairs, heating and so on, he always made a point of trying to buy it as he felt they were part of Scotland’s heritage. Alex, who died recently, donated his entire collection of British pewter to The Stirling Smith Museum. There is a Scottish section in the inventory which can be accessed at www.pewterbank.com under the heading of pewter displays (exhibitions). The Neish Pewter Collection – a catalogue by Patricia Neish. See Chapters 12 Chalices and Cups and 13.2 Scottish Flagons. In the said ware section there is Scottish Communion Plate. It should all be safe there.