23rd April 2025
OFFICE BEARERS
CHAIRMAN
David Martin
Tel. 07597 301748
DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
John Parker
Tel. 07970 568425
SECRETARY
Allan Black
Tel. 07512 022949
TREASURER
Duncan Pickard
Tel. 01334 870203
TALKS CONVENOR
Graeme Hogg
Tel. 01334 653043
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Jim Lawrence
Maurice Shepherd
David Sinclair
ASSIST. SECRETARY
Vic Broad
ASSIST. TALKS CONVENOR
Bill Bowman
TALK RECORDERS
Vic Broad
Tony Miklinski
Brian Murray
Graham Pirie
...........................
Wednesday
14th May 2025
10.00am
Talk: 'This is our victory WSC'
Presenter: Andy Middlemiss
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Club News
Secretary email: macblack.author@gmail.com
At the meeting in Castlehill Community Hall on 23rd April, Chairman David Martin began by reminding all members that the 101st birthday of John Kilpatrick, our oldest active member, would occur on Friday 25th April. Unfortunately, John was unable to attend today’s meeting. Members sent best wishes to John and the hope to see him soon again.
The Chairman then introduced our speaker for today, one of our own members, Roddy Greig. Roddy is also Chairman of the Fife Family History Society and a member and treasurer of the Howe of Fife Rotary Club. His talk today was entitled ‘The artist - Charles Lees’
Charles Lees - self portrait (can be viewed at Cupar Museum and Heritage Centre)
The Golfers (can be viewed at The National Galleries of Scotland)
Roddy Greig
The Artist - Charles Lees
One of Cupar Probus’ own, Roddy Grieg, gave us a detailed history of the Cupar based painter, Mr Charles Lees (e), the “e” being optional. Born in 1800, Lees lived with his 8 siblings in the Burnside area of Cupar, where his father ran a Linen manufacturing business. He successfully applied to the “Drawing Academy” in 1820, after which he generated an income by tutoring the children of wealthy families. And that was how he met the 18 year old Miss Elizabeth Christie of Baberton House. Elizabeth’s father was none too pleased at Lees’ attentions, thinking him a “young lady stealer” and fortune hunter. He was neither but he was determined, and followed Elizabeth to London, where her father had moved her for protection, and they promptly eloped to Gretna Green where they married.
Following legal proceedings and uproar in the Press, they were married a second time and the couple decided to move to Rome and allow Lees to paint. Their first son, Archibald, was born in 1833. Lees exhibited widely until his death in 1880, and became the Treasurer of the RSA. He continued to live in Cupar in Lebanon Bank.
Roddy then explained how he had followed up his research by contacting Mary Lees, a descendant of Archibald Lees, and struck up a relationship. When Mary had to move into a Nursing Home, Roddy was offered 3 paintings by the family for a modest sum - Baberton House; a portrait of Lees by Robert Scott Lauder; and a self-portrait of Lees. In 2023, Roddy generously loaned the paintings to the Cupar Heritage Museum where they are now exhibited. Roddy spent 18 months researching the background to these paintings which provided the basis for this fascinating history of one of Cupar’s talented sons.
Tony Miklinski
