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Picture taken 29 June 1999.
Memorial on outer wall of lighthouse grounds, Muckle Skerry, Pentland Skerries. Vicksburg was a wooden, barque-rigged cargo vessel, lost on the Skerries. Master and 11 crew survived.
It would be interesting to know more about the Principal Light Keeper's children. How did they die? Did they die on the skerry? Are they buried there?
Picture added on 01 July 2010 at 11:30
The death of Alfred Alan Spence Reid aged three months ,was registered in South Ronaldsay in 1878, by a neighbour at Burwick. The cause of death was diptheria.
Added by Marlene Mainland on 01 July 2010
William Reid aged 10, also died in March 1878. The couple then moved to a lighthouse off Argyll with their five remaining children.They have an interesting marriage certificate, as they were married at Cape Wrath in 1860, both having fathers who were light keepers there. Thereafter they moved many times to different lighthouses around our coasts.
Added by Marlene Mainland on 01 July 2010
Thank you for that, Marlene. It adds something to the rather throwaway addition to the Vicksburg memorial. If both children died in the same year, '1872-1878' must refer to the period 'P Reid' served on Muckle Skerry and not to the dates of death of the children. I wonder where they are buried.
Added by Ian Hourston on 06 July 2010
Yes. Going by census information, Patrick Reid would have been Principal Light Keeper between 1872 and 1878.
Added by Marlene Mainland on 07 July 2010
On www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk it claims that the wife and seven children are buried on Muckle Skerry after dying of diptheria in 1877. As if the story wasn't tragic enough! They have certainly got their facts muddled.
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Added by Marlene Mainland on 07 July 2010
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