Published: Sunday, 7th September, 2008 00:00
MEMORIAL RESTORED
By Sandy Kilpatrick
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Covenanter site which replaced 'cursed' stone has new railings fitted
A COVENANTERS Cairn marking the spot where two men were killed has been restored with help from a local historian’s family and friends.
Perched in the hills above the A76 between New Cumnock and Kirkconnel, it replaced an older ‘cursed’ stone memorial that, according to Thomson’s Martyr Graves of Scotland, ‘had been destroyed’.
The memorial erected in 1845 is dedicated to George Corson and John Hair who were martyred for their Covenanting loyalties, and was recently repaired in August by Ayrshire Historian, Dane Love, brother Scott Love and friend Chris Donaldson.
Dane Love recalled the tale from Helen Steven’s 1899 book ‘The Cumnocks - Old and New’, in which she tells the story of how the old stone came to be ‘destroyed’.
After the Revolution a flat stone was placed over the grave of the martyrs and that’s were it stayed until the memorial was stolen by a farmer. He loved ‘neither God nor man’ but coveted the stone to make a hearth for his
great earthen-floored kitchen.
One ‘unholy’ day he stole the stone in triumph from the place where it had rested for so long.
But the symbol of the grave didn’t lay quietly near the embers of the fires.
The dogs of the farm ‘growled with discontent’, the cats ‘arched their backs and their eyes glowed red in the firelight’ whenever they passed the flat stone slab.
Then one day came when a servant girl cried in fright and ran from the kitchen, screeching in terror as she fled through the farm yard. The stone on the hearth had come asunder, cracking into a hundred pieces after the girl had broke a large piece of coal.
The neighbours believed this to be a curse from beyond the grave that pronounced ‘evil and doom’ upon the thief, the farmer who had stolen the grave stone of the martyrs.
Local Historian Dane Love said: “The memorial as it stands is still in good condition, but the surrounding railings, which were probably erected at the same time as the memorial, had become seriously rusted, and it was decided to have them replaced.”
“The railings are fairly plain in style, in keeping with the ones that have been replaced, but there are small wrought iron finials on the corner posts and were made by the my brother, Scott Love. Within the stone edging at the base of the railings the gap, which usually builds up with weeds, has been filled in with granite setts, laid by Chris Donaldson.”
Little is known surrounding the two men, Corson and Hair. But it is thought that they were killed on the same day as the Covenanters on Carsgailoch Hill, between Cumnock and New Cumnock, were shot. They were not noted by the account of Rev Wodrow but they certainly suffered death.
In 1685 some of the Covenanters, including Corson and Hair had escaped the clutches of Soldiers under the command of Colonel Douglas. The men were pursued and finally captured near to OverCairn Farm. What happened after that is not know.
Dane Love speculates the holy men may have had Bibles on their possession, or perhaps they were asked to swear an oath to the King and refused. In any case, the soldiers brought out their firearms and shot the men dead on the spot.
Dane Love said: “It’s important to look after these memorials to protect local heritage. They fought to worship and govern the churches in they way they wanted, and if it wasn’t for the covenanters we wouldn’t have religious freedom. ”
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