Perhaps the grave which
was best known in the Old West's cemetery was that of
young Mary Campbell. Immortalised by Scotland's poet
Robert Burns in some of his loveliest poems and songs
such as "The Highland Lassie O" and "Will Ye Gang Tae The
Indies, My Mary?", her early death was a tragedy which
deeply affected Burns. When the Old West Kirk was closed,
Mary Campbell was exhumed and reinterred in Greenock
Cemetery by the Burns Federation, November 8th, 1920,
where her monument can be seen today. The beautiful
carved stone tells a story of romance and tragedy whose
appeal is as strong today as it was those many years
ago.
There are many stories to be
read around the Old West churchyard - building a picture
of life in the town of Greenock in the
"long-ago."
That it was mainly a fishing
town with some weaving and agriculture is plain from a
study of the occupations carved on the gravestones; for
example, Wm. Hyndman, hammerman; Robert Muir,sen.
Inspector of fisheries; Arch. Shearer, cooper; John Shaw,
flesher; Robt. Newsham, sailmaker; John Polson, late of
customs; John Wilson, late master of Grammar school
(1789); Arch. Black, merchant; Dan McLeod, shoemaker. Add
to these the saddlers, hatters, vintners, postmasters,
etc. and a picture emerges of a busy town revolving round
the fishing industry with all its subsidiary crafts and
trades.
The Ancient Order Of Free
Gardeners
Royal Oak Lodge
July 12th 1754
This deeply carved tablet tells
a story in pictures: it shows a crossed spade and rake; a
tree; a plumb line; a dibble with rope curled round a
handle. The date beneath it is July 12th, 1754, and it
sits on a stone inscibed with the message .......
"purchased by Greenock Gardeners' Society; dust to dust."
Did some of these gardeners tend the grounds around that
first church?
It is easy to imagine them digging, raking, planting
their flowers and shrubs through all the seasons, under
the shadow of their "kirk."
One unusual monument sits apart
from the others; this is a "square" cross set on a tall
plinth: the date is 1890 and the story is of a man of
considerable stature ....... it states "(by) Colin Rae
Brown, (b) here, to father Jas., a shipmaster here,
mo(ther) Marion Rae Brown, gfa. Jas Rae, shipmaster here,
gmo. Marion Leitch Rae."
Any person who seeks further facts will discover that
Colin Rae Brown and his family lived in Greenock and
attended the Old West Kirk.
From an early age, he was keenly interested in Robert
Burns, whose sweetheart Mary Campbell (Highland Mary) was
buried in the Old West Kirkyard.
When Mr. Brown moved to London, he helped to form the
London Burns Club(1868) and was its President for many
years.
