This is Captain John's church at Fenwick. On the grounds
there are several graves marked with plaques with the words, "Fenwick Covenanter."
Captain John's memorial sits directly at the rear of the church, facing
toward it.
This is Captain John's Memorial marker at Fenwick
Church. At the top, above the inscriptions, there is an open Bible
with the words, "THE WORD OF GOD," and another part that says, "FENWICK
FOR GOD, COUNTRY, AND COVENANTED WORK OF REFORMATION." The top part
of the inscription reads:
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY
OF
CAPTAIN JOHN PATON,
LATE IN MEADOWHEAD.
OF THIS PARISH.
WHO SUFFERED MARTYRDOM
IN THE GRASSMARKET.
EDINBURGH, MAY 9TH, 1684.
HE WAS AN HONOUR TO HIS COUNTRY, ON
THE CONTINENT, AT PENTLAND, DRUMCLOG,
AND BOTHWELL. HIS HEROIC CONDUCT TRULY
EVINCED THE GALLANT OFFICER, BRAVE
SOLDIER, AND TRUE PATRIOT. IN SOCIAL AND
DOMESTIC LIFE HE WAS AN ORNAMENT.
A PIOUS CHRISITAN, AND A FAITHFUL
WITNESS FOR TRUTH IN OPPOSITION TO
THE ENCROACHMENTS OF TYRANNICAL AND
DESPOTIC POWER IN CHURCH AND STATE.
THE MORTAL REMAINS OF
CAPTAIN PATON
SLEEP AMID THE DUST OF
KINDRED MARTYRS, IN THE
GREY-FRIARS CHURCH-YARD,
EDINBURGH.
NEAR THIS IS THE
BURYING-PLACE OF HIS FAMILY
AND DESCENDANTS."
The lower part of the inscription reads:
Who Antichrist do this oppose,
And for truth's cause, their lives lay down,
Will get the victory o'er their foes,
And gain life's everlasting crown.
I am standing beside the memorial. I am 5'4" tall, which
helps put the size of the memorial in perspective.
This photo shows the placement of the Memorial,
relative to the church, and is taken from the back side
of the memorial. In front of the back side of the Memorial
there is a memorial marker for James Paton,
Agnes Young and their family, which obscures the back of Captain
John's marker in this photo.
Though it is not visible in the photo, the back of Captain John's
memorial states that it was "Re-erected by the Christian Public,"
in 1853. It also has the name, "J. Bowie," which I assume to be the
maker of the memorial.
Other Captain Paton Photos
I would like to thank Grant Paton for the following five photos.
This is a photo of a mezzotint of Captain John Paton
made in the 1800s. One copy of this print is located at Scotland's
National Portriat Gallery in Edinburgh.