Book
Watercolour
Maker & role
Reverend Robert W Fraser (b.1810, d.1876), Author; Reverend Robert W Fraser (b.1810, d.1876), Artist
Production date
1861
1822
See full details
Object detail
Title
Seaside Divinity
Production place
Collection
Measurements
0 - Whole, H: 20.3 x W: 13 x D: 3.2cm (H: 203 x W: 130 x D: 32mm)
Credit line
Gift, NSW Department of Planning and Environment, 1987
Rouse Hill Estate Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Rouse Hill Estate Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Rouse Hill Estate Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Rouse Hill Estate Collection, Museums of History New South Wales
Description
Book titled "Seaside Divinity" by the Rev. Robert W. Fraser, M.A. illustrated. London, James Hogg and Sons 1861. Green cloth boards embossed with borders; on front centre is a circular cartouche in gold with title in centre, surrounded by sea weeds, stylised waves, and sea creatures. Spine with title, author & "illustrated" in gold designs similar to cover. Back cover plain. 378pp.
Within is a card with a watercolour illustration inside front cover held in place by one corner. Juvenile illustration of a potted auricula flower in blue, red, yellow, brown, green, pink & magenta. Verso: handwritten in black ink in childish hand: "From Robert [George] Fraser to his Uncle William 24 February (sic) 1822".
Thornton ('The Buchanans in Australia' p.19) relates that the Fraser children gave gifts to their uncle prior to his departure for Australian colony in 1822 - "...Archibald sends a knife, George a glass and Robert some of his drawings.." Dated 1822 the small painting of a potted auricula pasted inside the cover of this book is assuredly one of these drawings and highlights the strong connections maintained with the Buchanan family.
Robert William Fraser (10 Jul 1810, Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. d. 10 Sep 1876, Edinburgh) held a Master of Arts, Edinburgh University (1836). Licensed by the Presbytery of Edinburgh in 1840, in 1844 he was appointed to St. John's, Edinburgh, where he remained until his retirement. He is known as an author of books on historical, religious and marine natural history, three of which are contained within the collection at Rouse Hill House. Fraser’s mother Helen was sister to William Buchanan, meaning he was Williams nephew, and Elizabeth (Bessie) Buchanan's (m. Edwin Stephen Rouse) cousin. He married Margaret Buchanan (a relationship to Helen is unknown) and had 7 children of whom the second, Robert George Fraser (1832 – 1905), went on to become a Presbyterian minister and amateur painter, several of whose works hang at Rouse Hill and who painted the auricula-decorated card tucked inside this book.
As explained in the preface, Fraser wrote 'Seaside Divinity' having previously written several papers on the natural history of the seaside. He explains that "Its nature and object or perhaps sufficiently indicated by its title of 'Seaside Divinity'; it may be added however that the work has not been written with the view of teaching geology, botany, or natural history, but of directing the reader's attention to the many very striking illustrations of great and impressive truths which these departments of science exhibit in the phenomena and productions of the seashore." The book should be seen in the context of a conservative religious response to the publication in 1859 of Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species.'
This book is part of the collection at Rouse Hill acquired from Mr. Gerald Terry, the house’s last permanent owner. At the time of the house’s acquisition by the NSW State Government (1978), the collection was jointly owned by Gerald and his brother Roderick, two of the sons of Nina Terry (nee Rouse). The Rouse Hill collection holds two other publications by Robert W. Fraser and all three titles may have been acquired in 1868 when William Buchanan, his wife Elizabeth and their daughter Bessie spent some months with the Fraser family in Edinburgh while on an extended trip to Ireland, England and Scotland.
Within is a card with a watercolour illustration inside front cover held in place by one corner. Juvenile illustration of a potted auricula flower in blue, red, yellow, brown, green, pink & magenta. Verso: handwritten in black ink in childish hand: "From Robert [George] Fraser to his Uncle William 24 February (sic) 1822".
Thornton ('The Buchanans in Australia' p.19) relates that the Fraser children gave gifts to their uncle prior to his departure for Australian colony in 1822 - "...Archibald sends a knife, George a glass and Robert some of his drawings.." Dated 1822 the small painting of a potted auricula pasted inside the cover of this book is assuredly one of these drawings and highlights the strong connections maintained with the Buchanan family.
Robert William Fraser (10 Jul 1810, Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. d. 10 Sep 1876, Edinburgh) held a Master of Arts, Edinburgh University (1836). Licensed by the Presbytery of Edinburgh in 1840, in 1844 he was appointed to St. John's, Edinburgh, where he remained until his retirement. He is known as an author of books on historical, religious and marine natural history, three of which are contained within the collection at Rouse Hill House. Fraser’s mother Helen was sister to William Buchanan, meaning he was Williams nephew, and Elizabeth (Bessie) Buchanan's (m. Edwin Stephen Rouse) cousin. He married Margaret Buchanan (a relationship to Helen is unknown) and had 7 children of whom the second, Robert George Fraser (1832 – 1905), went on to become a Presbyterian minister and amateur painter, several of whose works hang at Rouse Hill and who painted the auricula-decorated card tucked inside this book.
As explained in the preface, Fraser wrote 'Seaside Divinity' having previously written several papers on the natural history of the seaside. He explains that "Its nature and object or perhaps sufficiently indicated by its title of 'Seaside Divinity'; it may be added however that the work has not been written with the view of teaching geology, botany, or natural history, but of directing the reader's attention to the many very striking illustrations of great and impressive truths which these departments of science exhibit in the phenomena and productions of the seashore." The book should be seen in the context of a conservative religious response to the publication in 1859 of Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species.'
This book is part of the collection at Rouse Hill acquired from Mr. Gerald Terry, the house’s last permanent owner. At the time of the house’s acquisition by the NSW State Government (1978), the collection was jointly owned by Gerald and his brother Roderick, two of the sons of Nina Terry (nee Rouse). The Rouse Hill collection holds two other publications by Robert W. Fraser and all three titles may have been acquired in 1868 when William Buchanan, his wife Elizabeth and their daughter Bessie spent some months with the Fraser family in Edinburgh while on an extended trip to Ireland, England and Scotland.
Accession number
R84/355
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