Stonemason who liked a drink carved
out a mysterious date
(Story dated: Thursday, November 4, 2004)

Charlie Millar at the grave of John Mainland, who, according to the inscription, died on February 30, 1887. A relative puts the date down to a mason who was a bit worse for wear!

Hallowe’en is the time for ghosts, goblins, graveyards, gravestones and a spooky tale or two. But the mystery surrounding the mysterious date on one of the headstones in St Magnus Cathedral’s cemetery could be solved.

Speculation has been rife over the years as to the date on one of the old gravestones – February 30, 1887 – a date which obviously doesn’t exist.

Could it have been because of a changeover in the calendar, could it have been some old Orcadian tradition?

No, it would appear somewhat simpler than that - the stone-mason was drunk at the time!

A heart-shaped stone was added to the main headstone and reads “in memory of John Mainland, aged 31 years, who died 30 Feb, 1887”.

A relative of Mr Mainland visited St Magnus Cathedral recently claiming that, as a youngster, she had been told that the stonemason was a bit the worse for wear when he chipped out the message. The stone, which stands in the north east corner, has been something of a tourist attraction over the years, with a well trodden path to it.

Former custodian, John Windwick, of Kirkwall, said: “There was one story that Dougie Shearer took a photo of it and it came out a different date. It did at one time attract a lot of attention.”

Charlie Millar recalls cleaning several of the more unusual stones in the graveyard.

“There is one there that just reads ‘Wee Titty 9th March, 1910’. Nobody knows who she was.” But the date coincides with only one death notice inserted in The Orcadian at the time.

“Irvine — at 30 High Street, Kirkwall, on the 9th inst (of this month) Catherine Ellen, the beloved daughter of David and Barbara Irvine, aged 12 years and 11 months. Much loved and sadly missed.”

The headstone made of wood for J. Thompson, a carpenter who served on HMS Blake.

There is a sad ending to another headstone, which had been lying face down on the grass for some time in the cathedral graveyard.

The cross, which has been picked up and set against another headstone, is actually made of wood in memory of J. Thompson, carpenter R.N, HMS Blake, who died September 4, 1910, age 47.

A look in the archives of The Orcadian edition September 10, 1910, found that: “Little was seen of the destroyer flotilla in Scapa Flow last week. The Blake and two destroyers lay in the Flow for three days, and then the destroyers joined the flagship and the other vessels of the flotilla at Longhope.

“On Sunday a warrant officer - Carpenter Thompson - died on board HMS Blake, of heart disease, after a few days’ illness. The funeral was arranged for Wednesday, but was put off till Thursday afternoon, as some of the deceased’s friends from the south had expressed a desire to be present.

“Col Peace and a number of territorials were present, and the band of the Orkney R.G.A., headed the procession through the streets of Kirkwall, and to the music of the Dead March in Saul, the cortege moved slowly along Castle Street to the churchyard.

“The last post was sounded by the Blake bugler. The proceedings, which were most impressive throughout, were witnessed by a large concourse of people.”

The cathedral graveyard is also home to the body of William Bisset, who was born in Midlothian on 20th May, 1803, and died at Kirkwall on December 31, 1848, “while superintending the repairs executed on the cathedral under the direction of the commissions of Her Majesty’s woods and forests.”

The stone is unusual in that it bears the marks of the masons working alongside him at the time.