Rangers First Patron - The Marquis of Lorne.
- Vallance
- 12 minutes ago
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Rangers First Patron - The Marquis of Lorne.
Yesterday we had the pleasure of visiting, for the first time, the final resting place of Rangers First Patron The Marquis of Lorne at Kilmun.
The tour guide at the church was excellent and very knowledgeable, I would recommend a visit.
There’s a members card on display within Ibrox Stadium from 1874 showing the Marquis of Lorne as the Club’s first patron.
In the early years of association football the aristocracy were very keen to be associated with the new and fast growing sport, reading between the lines it looks as if our young Founders took full advantage of this. The Marquis of Lorne,who became the Governor of Canada, was married to Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise; they lived at Rosneath Castle on the shore of the Gareloch .
In all likelihood The Marquis, John Douglas
Sutherland Campbell The 9th Duke of Argyll would have donated a sum to his fellow lads from Argyll to boost their new enterprise. He was also to become an honorary president of the SFA.
This would have been something of a coup for our lads as the Marquis had become one of the most high profile figures in British public life.
As future Clan Campbell Chief the Marquis is likely to have been acquainted with John Campbell, father of Founder Peter who would have enjoyed a position of standing within the local community due to his successful steamboat enterprise.
His wife Princess Louise was actually the first patron of what we know today as Erskine Hospital and her husband of course was the first patron of Rangers.
The Marquis of Lorne died on the 2nd of May 1914 on The Isle of Wight His body was brought to St Modans Church in Rosneath, our Founder Moses McNeil rests in the churchyard.
Within St Modans Church is Queen Victoria's Bible.This Bible had been Queen Victoria's gift to her daughter Princess Louise, who placed it in the church in thanks for the coffin of The Marquis of Lorne resting in the church overnight on its way to the Argyll Burial Ground at Kilmun on the 10th May 1914.
Also buried in the cemetery at Kilmun is Archibald Harkness Rangers President 1881-1882. We placed a memorial plaque at his grave in 2020.
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