This is a detailed inscription, and decipherable after.....what?...nearly two hundred years. It records names, ages, dates of death, family relationships, manner of death, location of death, circumstances of death...all decipherable.
It would need to be on good quality stone?...or, what?...marble?...a stone that cost money.
I think the inscription is worth closer consideration, and I have listed the information in chronological order for the six deaths detailed -
* Of Robert his son surgeon on board the ship Liverpool who died on his passage from Old Callabar in Africa on the 25th of Decr 1816 aged 32 years.
*In memory of John MILLAR cattle dealer who died at Springfield on the 22nd of March 1825 aged 88 years.
*Also John MILLAR his son who died the 5th of Novr 1826 aged 50 years.
* Of Jane JOHNSTON his spouse who died the 29th of March 1831 aged 81 years.
* Also Walter MILLAR their son who died the 30th of Octr 1844 aged 60 years.
* Of Mary his daughter who died in infancy
Do a google search to find in The Scots magazine, 1825 -
"March 23 at Springfield, near Gretna Green, aged 88, Mr John Millar, snr, and father of the firm of Messrs Millar, the extensive cattle-dealers of the Border, and had crossed the Solway Frith more than two thousand times, before the erection of the metal bridge at Garristown"
Use Britishnewspaperarchives.co.uk, search, 1825 .....Springfield near Gretna.......
to find death notice in six publications, Perthshire Courier, Durham Chronicle, The Scots Magazine, Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser, Caledonian Mercury, Inverness Courier.
John MILLAR, died 1825, is a prominent businessman, and known extensively through Scotland and England.
Me....thinking aloud -
The headstone would be put in place on the occasion of the death of family patriarch, John MILLAR, 1825, and he is accounted for as -
* John MILLAR cattle dealer who died at Springfield on the 22nd of March 1825 aged 88 years.
This is the same wording found in newspaper death notices. John MILLAR, a man who would have money, and standing in the business community, that is all that is recorded on his headstone?.
Inscription for Robert MILLAR is added 1825 or later , and has a great amount of detail.
Later deaths on the headstone are basic records....name, rank, serial number...nothing more.
Why is there so much detail about Robert MILLAR, died 1816.
Many people died at sea in those days. Sail over the horizon....coastal traffic....crossing oceans...and there was a chance that you might not come back.
There is too much information about Robert MILLAR, died 1816.
The ship he travelled on when he died would not be worth mentioning unless the name Robert MILLAR...and..."Liverpool" were identifiers of the man. Robert MILLAR was the builder/owner/master of the "Liverpool".
The particular voyage of the "Liverpool" would be recorded on the headstone if it was a significant voyage, and understood as such by the public. If that voyage of the "Liverpool" was associated with....what?...mutiny by the crew?...attacked by pirates?......great loss of life from disease?.....then including this detail would be relevant.
There is too much information about Robert MILLAR when compared with details about the other deaths.
This headstone might be of recent creation/placement, with the inscription being an account of a recent researcher's work.
An image might give a clue to the age of the headstone.
If it is the work of a recent researcher, then Robert MILLAR, died 1816, would seem to be the person of interest to that researcher. Cemetery records would identify the person who put the headstone in place. Contact the Church/cemetery to see if you can contact the person who, as I am suggesting, is the recent researcher of your Robert MILLAR.
