The tinkler-gypsies . Isle, Kirkcudbright, to Mr JohnMcKie, , then Honorary Curator of theStewartry Museum, Kirkcudbright, were thehorn mug and spoon, which had been pre-sented by Billy and his son to Dunbar, Earl ofSelkirk. Thanks to the above disinterested act•on the part of Captain Hope and to the kindpermission granted by the Honorary Curator ofthe Stewartry Museum, we are pleased to beable to reproduce a photo of these very interest-ing relics. The description embodied in thephoto is taken from the original labels foundattached to the mug and spoon, and it will benoted that Billy has
The tinkler-gypsies . Isle, Kirkcudbright, to Mr JohnMcKie, , then Honorary Curator of theStewartry Museum, Kirkcudbright, were thehorn mug and spoon, which had been pre-sented by Billy and his son to Dunbar, Earl ofSelkirk. Thanks to the above disinterested act•on the part of Captain Hope and to the kindpermission granted by the Honorary Curator ofthe Stewartry Museum, we are pleased to beable to reproduce a photo of these very interest-ing relics. The description embodied in thephoto is taken from the original labels foundattached to the mug and spoon, and it will benoted that Billy has actually carved on the mughis own initials, a cross and the year of carving;and on the other side his age, 115, has alsobeen carved by him:—W x M 115, Billy carved that X between his initialsthe question naturally arises did he, in thisparticular instance, have recourse to a com-promise by combining his initials with the Marshall mark, or did a perception of thedistinction between signing by a cross and. to T. II. I!;.nl; Remarkable Longevity. 39 carving a cross suffice to allay his supposedconscientious scruples and superstitious fears asto using the sign of the cross ? If, however, it was to Billys interest to beregarded as a miracle of longevity, then somemay be inclined to doubt his credibility. ThatBillys family are a long-lived race is furthersupported by the writing on his tombstone inKirkcudbright Churchyard, and by the statement that one of his sons lived to be over 100years old. But perhaps the best proof of allwill be found in the recorded evidence^of MrJames Murray MCuUoch, of Ardwall, who hadactually met and conversed with Billy—con-tained in his interesting and instructive letterabove referred to. That letter shows that Billysgreat age was never disputed to the extent ofmore than three or four years, and that the oldest people in the country allowed theaccount to be correct. Mr MCulloch statesthat Billys own account was that he was bornin
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidtinkl, bookpublisheretcetc
