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In search of my great grandfather Daniel Maginn

Our £40,000 public fundraising campaign, Project Heritage, saw us restore the historic Scottish Veterans Residences (SVR) memorial in Eastern Cemetery, Edinburgh, marked by a rededication ceremony in October 2025. 

More than 220 Veterans who lived in Whitefoord House from 1910-1948 are listed on the memorial wall, so it was our pleasure and privilege to welcome the great grand-daughter of one of the men - Colour Sergeant Daniel Maginn - first to Whitefoord House and then the burial ground at the cemetery. 

Karen Pardoe, from Brighton, was given a tour round Whitefoord House shortly before Christmas, then laid a tribute on behalf of her family to Daniel, who served for 21 years in the Royal Irish Fusiliers and passed away aged 63 in 1934. Here is Karen’s story and the reason for making her special pilgrimage...

‘Daniel Maginn, my Great-grandfather’

by Karen Pardoe

My journey began in lockdown. I decided to do something with my time. I signed up for several ancestry sites but only recently had access to newspaper articles. This led me to information on my great grandfather’s death at Whitefoord House in Edinburgh’s Canongate. This took me by surprise, as he was estranged from my grandfather, and we had only limited information about him.

The articles revealed, in detail, my Great-grandfather’s military records. His height, his age, colouring, chest expansion, weight and even a description of his tattoos (kilted woman and Queen Alexandra).

He started his military life at 19 in Belfast, where he signed up to the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was posted to East Indies, Egypt, then South Africa (Boer War). It was here that he was injured and sent back to Southampton on a freight ship. He convalesced at Shorncliffe Hospital in Kent then transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, Hampshire. His injuries were described as “gunshot penetrating through the neck, chest and lung”. His treatment for the wound was antibiotics and lime juice.

For his bravery and service, he was awarded the Queen’s Medal, with a clasp of Talana. He also went onto receive the General Service Medal and Victory Medals. In the same year he married my Great grandmother, Bridget in his hometown of Belfast. He had 3 children, the eldest being my grandfather.

He briefly left the Army only to re-enlist in 1915, following the outbreak of the First World War. He was posted to various places, including France for one year. He was finally demobbed in 1920 at the age of 50 having served for a total of 21 years.

Daniel Maginn became a resident at Whitefoord and passed away aged 63 on 22 April 1934, and was laid to rest in the Scottish Veterans Residences’ burial ground at Eastern Cemetery, Edinburgh. I recently had the honour of seeing his name etched into the recently restored Memorial Wall. His legacy lives on as he has had and still has, direct descendants serving in the Armed Forces. 
A big thank you on behalf of his family to SVR for looking after him in his last years.

• Pictures
  Top, Karen lays a tribute to her great grandfather at Eastern Cemetery.
  Middle: Daniel’s name is one of 220 etched on to the SVR Memorial.
  Above: Karen believes Daniel is among this group of Whitefoord House Veterans (back row, 4th from right)
  Below: The tribute to Daniel from his family