Bothwell Bridge, Battle of, Scotland, 1679 -- Fiction; Historical fiction; Scotland -- History -- 1660-1688 -- Fiction; War stories
"From the Caldon, the labours of Old Mortality, in the course of
time, spread over nearly all the Lowlands of Scotland. There are few
churchyards in Ayrshire, Galloway, or Dumfries-shire, where the work
of his chisel is not yet to be seen. It is easily distinguished from
the work of any other artist by the primitive rudeness of the
emblems of death, and of the inscriptions which adorn the ill-formed
blocks of his erection. This task of repairing and erecting
gravestones, practised without fee or reward, was the only
ostensible employment of this singular person for upwards of forty
years. The door of every Cameronian's house was indeed open to him
at all times when he chose to enter, and he was gladly received as
an inmate of the family; but he did not invariably accept of these
civilities, as may be seen by the following account of his frugal
expenses, found, amongst other little papers, (some of which I have
likewise in my possession,) in his pocket-book after his death.
Gatehouse of Fleet, 4th February, 1796.
ROBERT PATERBON debtor to MARGARET CHRYSTALE.
To drye Lodginge for seven weeks,....... 0 4 1
To Four Auchlet of Ait Meal,............ 0 3 4
To 6 Lippies of Potatoes................ 0 1 3
To Lent Money at the time of Mr. Reid's
Sacrament,......................... 0 6 0
To 3 Chappins of Yell with Sandy the
Keelman,*.......................... 0 0 9
L.0 15 5
Received in part,....................... 0 10 0
Unpaid,............................... L.0 5 5
*["A well-known humourist, still alive, popularly called by the name
of Old Keelybags, who deals in the keel or chalk with which farmers
mark their flocks."]
"This statement shows the religious wanderer to have been very poor in
his old age; but he was so more by choice than through necessity, as at
the period here alluded to, his children were all comfortably situated,
and were most anxious to keep their father at home, but no entreaty could
induce him to alter his erratic way of life. He travelled from one
churchyard to another, mounted on his old white pony, till the last day
of his existence, and died, as you have described, at Bankhill, near
Lockerby, on the 14th February, 1801, in the 86th year of his age. As
soon as his body was found, intimation was sent to his sons at
Balmaclellan; but from the great depth of the snow at that time, the
letter communicating the particulars of his death was so long detained by
the way, that the remains of the pilgrim were interred before any of his
relations could arrive at Bankhill.
"The following is an exact copy of the account of his funeral
expenses,--the original of which I have in my possession:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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