Stand to!

This 220th article comes nine years after the first was published on 6 April 2014. Back then, there was little or no information about Dr Halliday Sutherland on the Internet other than nonsensical speculation and some industrial-strength lies, so I set up this website to improve the situation. My aim was to make accurate information on his life and works more easily accessible.

Over the nine years, I have written a Wikipedia page, written articles, called out false reports (including two complaints to the BBC – see “HGS Watch”), have been interviewed for podcasts and print media, published material about the controversies in which Dr Sutherland involved himself, published original source material for researchers, and wrote a book (Exterminating Poverty: The true story of the eugenic plan to get rid of the poor, and the Scottish doctor who fought against it with Neil Sutherland).

It has been a fascinating journey, one that involved reading and cataloguing Dr Sutherland’s papers, looking through boxes of family photographs, meeting historians, examining the archives in the British and Wellcome Libraries. I still remember the frisson when I read the letters that disclosed the dirty tricks used during the Stopes v Sutherland libel trial, learning about them for the first time, from the horse’s mouth as it were.

This site recently celebrated the Centenary of the Stopes v Sutherland libel trial and now it is appropriate to change the pace of this work something akin to a “stand to”.

“Stand to” is the abbreviated form of the order “stand to arms,” the time at which the infantry soldier remains in place, observes arcs of fire and waits and sees what happens. It begins the day – before first light – and ends the day – as last light approaches. From the outside, there is very little to see – soldiers still and silent in the prone position, but this apparent inactivity belies the intense concentration and straining your senses waiting for an enemy attack (in winter, add “trying to shut out the cold”).

I will be standing to, not stopping. I will not be publishing articles each month and will publish as a need arises. The site will continue to be exist on the Internet and the articles and pages will be readily accessible.

My work will continue “behind the scenes” on related projects. I can be contacted through the “Contact” page. Occasionally I will update you on any developments or write an article.

A huge “thank you” for those who have encouraged this work – you have made my efforts a lot easier.

Best wishes,

Mark Halliday Sutherland
Curator, hallidaysutherland.com