Towards the bottom of the face of the Memorial Stone erected by James Marshall is the following for his son, also called James
This is the story behind those few sad words.
Link to the gravestone photo.
I have been greatly helped by Alison Kennedy who works in Peterhead. In fact most of the below was supplied by her.
THE SINKING OF THE "JANE", OF PETERHEAD
WITH THE LOSS OF ALL HANDS IN THE GREAT STORM OF
OCTOBER 14TH, 1881
The Crew List on October 14th 1881 is as follows:
William Mackie, 62, Master, b. Peterhead
James Cowe, 40,
married;
James Marshall, unmarried;
Michael Kelly,
married
There was a severe storm which affected the east coast of England
and Scotland on 14 October 1881 in which many lives and boats were
lost. The loss from the storm to Eyemouth alone was 20 boats and 129
men, which left about 30 widows and 260 fatherless children; while the
total number of lives lost between Newhaven and Berwick mounted up to
little short of 200. In the afternoon a schooner ran ashore near
Broxmouth Kirk about a mile and a half from Dunbar and no trace has
been found of the crew, which would be about four in number. Her boat
had the name Jane of Peterhead upon it.
The Aberdeen Journal, Saturday, October 15, 1881
LOSS OF A PETERHEAD SCHOONER AND ALL HANDS
The sad intelligence reached Peterhead last night that the schooner
Jane, belonging to this port (Captain Mackie, skipper), bound from the
Tyne, had gone ashore at Dunbar, and all hands had been lost. The
names of the crew were - James Cowe, married; James Marshall,
unmarried; and Michael Kelly, married - all belonging to Peterhead.
Much sympathy is felt for the families of the crew. Mr Mackie was
married, and leaves a grown-up family. The Jane was laden with a
cargo of coals for Mr George Maitland, coal merchant, Peterhead, and
neither the vessel nor the cargo were insured.
The Scotsman, Tuesday 18th of October
THE DISTRUCTIVE GALE OF FRIDAY
THE SHIPWRECKS OFF DUNBAR
DISCOVERY OF BODIES
By daylight yesterday the Coastguardsmen and a number of the
fishermen at Dunbar were on a lookout for bodies along the shore, but
it was half-past eleven o'clock before any were recovered. After that
hour body after body was washed into "the kettle" at the east end of
the promenade, adjoining the North Dyke, till, by one o’clock, eight
had been secured - the fishermen engaged in the work not hesitating,
when necessary, to wade up to the waist in order to draw bodies ashore
with a grapple.
As each body was removed it was tenderly dealt with by local
fishermen and several from Fisherrow, Newhaven and Cove. In nearly
every case the upper garments had either entirely disappeared, or were
reduced to shreds, while in several instances the bodies were in a
state of nudity. With one or two exceptions, the unfortunate men seem
to have pulled off their heavy sea-boots when the storm overtook them.
Most of the bodies were a good deal disfigured, and in one case the
features were so distorted that identification was a matter of some
difficulty.
The bodies were removed in carts to the hospital at the battery,
with the exception of that of William Mackie, Captain of the Jane, of
Peterhead, which was taken to the house of Mr Hutchison, fishcurer, a
personnel friend of the deceased. In the first instance, this body was
identified by the initials ”W.M." on one of the arms, and afterwards
by a son of the deceased, who is a clerk in Edinburgh. Captain Mackie
was 62 years of age, and had traded on the east coast for half that
period. He was part owner of the schooner Jane, and belonged to
Peterhead, where he leaves a widow and daughter.
The other members of the crew of this ill-starred schooner - Mathew
Kelly, 26, unmarried, leaving a widowed mother; James Cove, 40,
leaving a widow but no children; and James Marshall, leaving a
widow and family - were also identified, though in the case of
Marshall, the only foundation for the identification was the initials
"J.M." on one of the arms and on his stockings. (I think the
writer is wrong about James Marshall leaving a widow and child -
Richard Collinson).
All the crew resided in Peterhead. The recovery of the bodies at
"the kettle" confirms the impression originally confirmed by the
Coastguardsmen at Dunbar, that the men had been washed overboard
before the schooner foundered on the rocks about half a mile further
east. It is expected that the bodies of Kelly and Marshall
will be interred at Dunbar, while arrangements have been made for the
burial of the others in the places to which the severally belong.
The Aberdeen Journal, Thursday, October 20, 1881
PETERHEAD
The loss of the schooner Jane. - All the bodies of the crew of the
schooner Jane, which foundered off Dunbar in the recent gale, have now
arrived in Peterhead, those of Captain Mackie, James Cowe, and Jas.
Marshall being brought on Tuesday; and that of Michael Kelly
yesterday. The funeral of the four mariners, which is to be a public
one, takes place at one o'clock on Friday.
The Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday, October 26, 1881
THE WRECK OF THE SCHOONER JANE, OF PETERHEAD
Mr Alexander Brodie, Broxburn, Dunbar, writes: - The bodies of the
captain and three men, comprising the crew of the schooner Jane, of
Peterhead, came ashore here, and were taken charge of by Mr Hutcheson,
fishcurer, who with the greatest kindness had them coffined and sent
on to Peterhead. The railway charge for carriage amounts to £38 4s
(this needs no comment). I hope the fund for the relief of the widows
and fatherless will extend to the families of these poor men. The
captain was part owner of the vessel. Just before the storm broke, he
warned some of the fishermen to get into harbour, as his barometer was
falling so rapidly that he was sure a fearful storm was coming. Owing
to the vessel being uninsured I understand his family are left nearly
destitute.
Once again I owe a dept of thanks to Allison Kennedy of Peterhead.
Richard Collinson April 4th 2008
