Project Fergusson had some thrilling news in October, all thanks to the wonderful William Purves Memorials!!

We had already approached Edinburgh Bereavement Services to ask if Robert Fergusson’s gravestone in the Canongate Kirkyard could be cleaned, as it wasn’t looking its best. We were advised to contact a number of recommended masons to ask for their insights and for a quote for how much a professional clean would cost.

After a few weeks, we got a fantastic email from Jessica at William Purves, who let us know that one of their amazing masons had already cleaned Fergusson’s stone!!

Jessica noted that the ‘memorial was originally made from Sandstone, [and so] it has not quite come up perfect. To remove the dark mark fully, the stone would need to be buffed completed and possibly even re-lettered, which obviously would include removing the full memorial, and would be a much bigger job. Our Mason has carefully cleaned the face of the memorial as best as possible, as well as cleaned up the current surround and the back inscription on the memorial’.

Our project thanks, as well as the thanks of all Fergusson fans, goes to William Purves Memorials for their hard work and for the amazing job they have done in making Fergusson’s stone feel a little more loved!

This nearly 250-year-old stone is of particular significance too as it was erected by Robert Burns, who was a huge fan of Fergusson’s work. Burns went to visit Fergusson’s grave to pay his respects in 1787 and was shocked to discover that it was left unmarked, due to the Fergusson family’s poverty. After permission was given by the Canongate Baillies, an architect named (confusingly!) Robert Burn was commissioned to carve the memorial stone. It was not paid off by Burns until 1792 – demonstrating the great respect he had for the elder poet.

Burns (the poet) also wrote the verse that adorns the front of the stone. Two extra verses were also written in his Second Commonplace Book, but the lines on Fergusson’s stone reads as follows:

No sculptur'd marble here, nor pompous lay,
'No story'd urn nor animated bust;'
This simple stone directs pale Scotia's way
To pour her sorrows o'er her Poet's dust.

Thank you once again to William Purves Memorials for restoring this amazing monument to Fergusson and to Burns’s admiration for his ‘elder brother in misfortune, / By far my elder brother in the muse’.