The Wilson Memorial Tomb
In Tweedmouth parish church, of St Bartholomew and St Boisil stands a now saddened memorial to Wilson. One of the Project’s ambitions is to see it restored to being a more suitable and cared for monument to one of the town’s most illustrious literary figures.
Gravestone of John Mackay Wilson, Churchyard, Berwick-upon-Tweed - 1393565 | Historic England
It is a listed building and expert opinion has been taken on this. It raises an interesting discussion of when repair becomes replacement, becomes replica or whether allowing gentle decay by the weather gives it is character.
At some stage it has been painted, possibly by the society set up to celebrate Wilson’s centenary. This has made it more prominent, but has led to decay of the underlying stone work. Any intervention is however likely to require substantial funding and whilst we have had some initial support for reports etc from the Berwick preservation trust and Berwick Freeman, more substantial support has so far been elusive.
It has also apparently been moved at some stage to make way for a new pedestrian entrance to the church and lost a stone urn that early photographs show.
We are not the first to seek to preserve the memorial. The Berwick Advertiser reported on 5th May 1927 that “The John Mackay Wilson Association” had added words to the memorial with consent of his descendants to record his fame as author of the tales of the Borders. They were also hoping to restore in time for the Centenary of his death and then pass responsibility for future upkeep to the Border Counties Association. The latter organisation seems to have been absorbed into Scottish local authorities and its English responsibilities and assets forgotten.
At the time of the centenary of his birth in 1904, a plaque was also erected inside the Tweedmouth Scotch church, now demolished, showing the high regard he was still held in at that time. This was rescued at the time of the church demolition and presented to the project by a local worker who had kept it safe.