The Burn staff plant trees in living memory of James Russell

The Burn estate was gifted to Goodenough College in 1949 by Mr and Mrs George Herbert Russell, in memory of their son James who was killed in action during the Second World War.

To mark the 80th Anniversary of the death of James Russell, on 24 July The Burn’s Bursar Jan Clarke organised a tree-planting ceremony in the arboretum on The Burn estate. The aim of this special event was to celebrate youth as well as acknowledge the age of the boy who didn’t come home – James was killed at the age of 21 alongside Corporal Muhammed Ali, aged 26.

The staff of The Burn and the Computer Science Group from St Andrew’s University, who were on an academic retreat at The Burn, joined the ceremony.

Jan Clarke, Bursar at The Burn, commented:

“The Burn was a family home to the Russells and they could not bear to return here, with James gone, so they offered the house and some 200 acres, together with a generous endowment to Goodenough College. The Burn operates today, as the Russell family wanted it – a home from home for international students and a living memory to James.

“We welcome all – not just from the world of academia but groups of all denominations as well as independent travelers and visitors to this beautiful part of Scotland. It holds a special place in all our hearts, including the local team who joined us for the tree-planting.

“The Burn is a home from home for all who visit, and we continue to honour that original legacy in James’s name, especially by supporting young people from across the world as they continue their educational journey. With that special focus on young people, I asked our young staff members, Lucy and Erin, both 21 years’ old, from local families, to help plant three medlar trees  – one for James, one for Muhammed and one for all the sons and brothers who didn’t come home from that day to this.”

After the tree-planting ceremony, the Bursar invited all participants for tea and home-made cakes in The Burn’s Mansion House.