Ettrick Shepherd's gravestone flattened by Borders Council

A fairly shocking story from the Borders. The grave of one of Scotland's most famous poets, James Hogg, also known as the Ettrick Shepherd, has been toppled over by Borders Council, alongside 47 other headstones in the parish churchyard for Ettrick and Buccleuch, which it stated to be unsafe. The number is believed to be about a third in total of all stones in the graveyard. The story is covered by the Southern Reporter at https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/people/villagers-anger-ettrick-shepherd-james-hoggs-headstone-laid-flat-council-workers-2448326.

In the paper's story Borders Council states that it only carried out its actions after speaking to the local community council, but it has prompted a great deal of anger. The Council added "We understand plans are now being progressed in the local community to reinstate the memorial". It is not clear what actions the Council itself will take to contribute to this, or for the reinstatement of the other 47 stones levelled by it.

To see how it was previously displayed, visit https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112351026/james-hogg and https://canmore.org.uk/site/296978/ettrick-parish-church-of-ettrick-and-buccleuch-james-hoggs-grave.

Perhaps those we elect into office should take better care of our national heritage?

(With thanks to @BordersJourneys)

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.