John Greenshields (28 September 1795 – 24 April 1835) was a talented but short-lived Scottish sculptor. His most notable works are probably the statue of Sir Walter Scott in Parliament House, Edinburgh,[1] The Scott Monument in Glasgow and the statue of Bonnie Prince Charlie on the Glenfinnan Monument. He also created a series of works depicting scenes from the works of Robert Burns.
Professor John Wilson referred to him as “an original genius” in his work Noctes Ambrosianae.[2]
He was born in Lesmahagow on 28 September 1795, the eldest of six sons (five surviving) to James Greenshields (1754-1838) a farmer,[3] and his wife, Betty Jack. In early life they moved to Willans, a cottage in Carluke[4] near Crossford, South Lanarkshire, and in Crossford Greenshields first became an apprentice masonic sculptor, under a Mr Cadzow.[5]
Around 1822 he went to Edinburgh to act as an assistant sculptor to Robert Forrest. Here he met Sir Walter Scott who became his artistic patron and friend.[6] Scott described Greenshields as a sensible, powerfully-minded person[7] and also there is much about that man that reminds me of Burns. During this period he lived in a cottage on the Milton estate of Scott's friend, William Lockhart.
From around 1829 he returned to work from Willans and Scott visited him there at least twice,[5] the second in the company of John Gibson Lockhart.
He died at Willans on 24 April 1835 and was buried in Lesmahagow churchyard.