"THE LATE FREDERICK ANDREW ECK
A good man and true, who spent twenty years of his life
on the banks of the Doon, has gone to his rest. Mr. Eck,
formerly of Hollybush died on Saturday last at his residence
in Cromwell Rd. London, in the 78th year of his age.
He bought Hollybush estate from the late Mr. Hunter of
Doonholm about the year 1852. He built a fine mansion upon
it, and the beautiful grounds will long bear testimony to
his good taste. Mr Eck was a native of Geneva (Nevey [=Vevey])
but came early in life to London, and after receiving a
mercantile training he became a partner in the firm of Anthony
Gibbs and Sons.
For a dozen years he was managing partner in Chili, where
the firm had a most extensive connection, especially in
the mining business. At that time he had opportunities for
forming a rare collection in mineralogy, which was arranged
with care in Hollybush House, and afterwards in London.
Successful in his mercantile career, he was able to retire
from business with an ample fortune at a comparatively early
age. He was a man of high culture. He spoke English, French
and Spanish with almost equal facility, and wrote other
languages with ease and grace. But his disposition was retiring,
and the range of his knowledge, and his varied accomplishments
were known only to a limited circle.
The death of his only son [William], a gentle and gifted
boy, threw a gloom over him in the decline of his life,
and induced him to part with Hollybush, where every scene
brought up tender recollections. On leaving the place, he
settled a sum in the hands of trustees sufficient to yield
about 10 pounds per annum to be spent at Christmas in gifts
for humble villagers in Dalrymple.
Dying at a ripe age, he has left a widow - a Glasgow lady
- and three daughters to cherish his memory."
Frederick Eck is beleived to have died aged 78 at Cromwell
Rd /London, possibly in 1884. His
collection of about 3000 specimens, mostly minerals, but
also inlcuding significant cut gemstones, and fossil, numismatic,
archaeological and ethnographic material, was donated by
"his family" in 1884 to the Hunterian Museum/
University of Glasgow.
Information supplied by:
Dr JW Faithfull
Curator of Mineralogy and Petrology
Hunterian Museum
University of Glasgow
G12 8QQ
Website: www.hmag.gla.ac.uk/John/huntmin/
The house with its 25 bedrooms is now one of three homes
run by The Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society known as COMBAT
STRESS.
|
