Pilkington Jackson

Life

Charles d'Orville was born at Garlenick near Grampound, Cornwall the son of Ethel Katie D'Orville. She married Louis Pilkington Jackson soon after, who may be presumed to be Charles' father, leading him to adopt his name in later life.

Charles attended the Edinburgh Institution from 1905 and the newly established Edinburgh College of Art in 1907, studying design and sculpture. He graduated in 1910 and received a travelling scholarship of £100, which he used to visit the British School in Rome. Whilst in Rome he worked with Giacomo Boni on the rebuilding of the Arch of Titus. In 1911, on his return to Scotland, he established himself in a studio with William MacDonald, a bronze founder. In the First World War he served in the Ayrshire Field Artillery in both Egypt and Palestine, and was Mentioned in Dispatches.

After the war he received numerous commissions to design war memorials and these extend across the whole width and breadth of Scotland. He was appointed as "supervising sculptor" for the Scottish National War Memorial, which was planned and built within Edinburgh Castle between 1919 and 1927. He was also commissioned to create numerous memorials to famous Scots, including tableaux at the David Livingstone Centre, and a memorial to Elsie Inglis, on which he collaborated with Sir Frank Mears. In 1929 he visited the eminent Swedish sculptor Carl Milles whom he acknowledged as a great influence on his work.

In the Second World War, although being far beyond the age of conscription at 52, he again joined the army, this time serving in Scotland as a Gun Operations Room Officer for coastal defence guns. He had an extremely long working career leading to his most famous commission, the statue of Robert the Bruce being executed in 1964 at the age of 76. The mounted statue of Robert the Bruce forms the focal point of the memorial to the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn, and is sited to face southwards, from which direction the English army approached. The statue and monument are listed at category A, and are included as one of the 60 DoCoMoMo Key Scottish Monuments of the post-war period. A copy of this sculpture stands at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Canada, and an alternative version of the monument, showing Bruce on a rearing horse, was later installed at the Chivas Brothers Distillery in Paisley.

Pilkington Jackson exhibited regularly at the Royal Scottish Academy, and was elected as an academician in 1956. He also served on the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland, and taught at Edinburgh College of Art in the late 1920s. He died in Edinburgh.

He is buried in Lasswade Cemetery at the north end of the modern section. He designed both his own stone (following the death of his wife, Eve Cornish Dening, 1885-1951) and that of his parents, which stands alongside. His son Richard D'Orville Pilkington Jackson (1921-2009) is buried with them.

Principal works

Minor Works of Interest