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William Skirving
Cenotaph

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William Skirving Famous memorial

Birth
Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland
Death
19 Mar 1796 (aged 45)
Cenotaph
Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland GPS-Latitude: 55.9534722, Longitude: -3.1857972
Memorial ID
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Politician. He is one of the five Scottish Martyrs for Liberty listed on the Political Martyrs Monument in Edinburgh. He was considered to have radical political views. He was educated at Edinburgh University and joined the ministry of the Presbyterian church. He attempted to become a college professor, but the offer did not happen. He married and had two sons. He joined the radial Scottish political group called the Friends of the People. He was arrested when government spies attended one of his meetings when he was Secretary for Friends of the People. In February of 1793, he was arrested. Aside from the arrest stemming from his involvement with Friends of the People, he also was accused of distributing pamphlets that were considered to be radical. He was sentenced to transportation, and to live in exile in Australia along with a few of his colleagues. He purchased a small farm in Sydney, but failed at farming. He became homesick for his wife and children. His burial register at St. Philip's says, "a seditionist, but a man of respectable moral conduct." His name was added to a cenotaph monument erected to the Scottish Martyrs on Carlton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1844. His actual burial site is unknown. He suffered a bout of yellow fever around January of 1796, dying of dysentery in March.
Politician. He is one of the five Scottish Martyrs for Liberty listed on the Political Martyrs Monument in Edinburgh. He was considered to have radical political views. He was educated at Edinburgh University and joined the ministry of the Presbyterian church. He attempted to become a college professor, but the offer did not happen. He married and had two sons. He joined the radial Scottish political group called the Friends of the People. He was arrested when government spies attended one of his meetings when he was Secretary for Friends of the People. In February of 1793, he was arrested. Aside from the arrest stemming from his involvement with Friends of the People, he also was accused of distributing pamphlets that were considered to be radical. He was sentenced to transportation, and to live in exile in Australia along with a few of his colleagues. He purchased a small farm in Sydney, but failed at farming. He became homesick for his wife and children. His burial register at St. Philip's says, "a seditionist, but a man of respectable moral conduct." His name was added to a cenotaph monument erected to the Scottish Martyrs on Carlton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1844. His actual burial site is unknown. He suffered a bout of yellow fever around January of 1796, dying of dysentery in March.

Bio by: Plantagenet Crown Dynasty


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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Originally Created by: julia&keld
  • Added: Jan 1, 2006
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12838961/william-skirving: accessed ), memorial page for William Skirving (5 Jun 1750–19 Mar 1796), Find a Grave Memorial ID 12838961, citing Old Calton Cemetery, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland; Maintained by Find a Grave.