In the CANMORE archive I came across an old photograph of a sculpture. It seemed to me to be the very expression of sadness. The photograph was taken by John Nicolson, and it was annotated as to be ‘possibly’ found in Canisbay churchyard. However, this sculpture actually stands in Dirlot Churchyard, Caithness.
The sculpture is on a plinth that records the family of David Bruce and May Sinclair of Todholes farm. David Bruce was the farm manager and he died in his sleep aged 50 [his wife May woke up to find him dead in beside him in bed].
The youngest daughter was Maggie Milne Bruce. She died in her 20th year as a result of pulmonary tuberculosis.
The sculpture also records the death of three other children, two in infancy.
The sculpture has since become covered in lichen and moss:
I would speculate that this sculpture was commissioned by David Angus junior, a Tea Merchant in Glasgow. He died in 1910 at 6 Windsor Street, where he had looked after both his mother and his youngest sister [both of whom died as a result of tubercular infection]
David Angus junior was long serving Treasurer of the Glasgow Caithness Literary Society:
