AN ANSWER!

By George Robertson, FSAScot.

At the end of my article on Thomas Henry Tuckett, I made an appeal for assistance in identifying the stone masons’ marks on Rumbling Bridge and, at last, a part answer has been provided.

The information was provided by Andrew Medley, who contacted Dunfermline Historical Society.  His friend Davy Guild, whilst recording the gravestones in Saline Old Kirk yard, noticed one of the stones was inscribed with a masons’ mark which was identical to the mark between the first set of initials, LM, on the Rumbling Bridge stone.   Andrew pointed out that he and Davy are involved, as volunteers, with archaeologist Moira Greig, in recording the masons’ marks in Dunfermline Abbey. Davy also had personal knowledge of the mason’s marks on Rumbling Bridge which made it possible for him to make the connection between the Saline gravestone, and the stone on Rumbling Bridge.

The Saline gravestone marked the burial place of Lewis Mercer, and his wife Margaret Scott.   Examination of the Saline census returns for 1841, 1851 and 1861 showed that Lewis, born in 1807, was the eldest of three brothers, the others being Lawrence, born 1811, and David Mercer, born 1816.   The brothers were all stone masons, and all born in Saline.

Since the first set of initials and masons’ mark on the Rumbling Bridge stone have now been identified as those of Lewis Mercer, it is my opinion the second and third initials, LM and DM, and masons’ marks, must be those of his brothers Lawrence and David, indicating all three brothers were involved in working on the stone work of Rumbling Bridge.   The fourth set of initials, BP, and it’s masons’ mark, have still to be identified.

Notes.

Moira Greig, FSAScot, is the President of Archaeology Scotland.   She is Founder of The Masons’ Mark Project, and is leading the search for masons’ marks in Dunfermline Abbey.

I would like to give thanks to Andrew Medley, who made me aware of the finding of the masons’ mark on the grave of Lewis Mercer, and also to Davy Guild, who so willingly shared his research with me and gave me permission to use the two images shown, both of which he photographed.