Kilmarnock Deerness Martyrs Memorial

Laigh Kirkyard

Kilmarnock

Ayrshire

NGR - NS 427380

The memorial to the Deerness Martyrs is located on the north side of the Laigh Kirk (now known as the New Laigh Kirk) in the surrounding graveyard. The church is located in the centre of the town, with access to the graveyard from John Dickie Street.

The stone shown above is a replacement for that shown to the right, which was unfortunately removed when the wall around the kirkyard was rebuilt.

The inscription reads:

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF

THOMAS FINLAY

JOHN CUTHBERTSON

WILLIAM BROWN

ROBERT & JAMES ANDERSON

NATIVES OF THIS PARISH

WHO WERE TAKEN PRISONERS

AT BOTHWELL JUNE 22^ND 1679

SENTENCED TO TRANSPORTATION

FOR LIFE AND DROWNED ON THEIR

PASSAGE NEAR THE ORKNEY ISLES

ALSO JOHN FINLAY

WHO SUFFERED MARTYRDOM

15^TH DECEMBER 1682

IN THE GRASSMARKET EDINBURGH

Deerness Martyrs

A small sandstone memorial commemorates the Kilmarnock Covenanters who were captured at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge and sentenced to transportation. The were shipwrecked off the Orkney coast and drowned.

The Kilmarnock martyrs were:

Thomas Findlay

John Cuthbertson

William Brown

Robert Anderson

James Anderson