St. James United Church Cemetery Stone #9 James Wilkie Dimensions: 4'6" in height, 2'11" wide, and 3'1/2" thick Orientation: East Carver: Not identified Inscription: James Wilkie/In Memory of Mrs./Elizabeth Wilkie,/Who died on the 29th/Jany 1832, and of Alex/Smith Wilkie, her/Infant son who died/On the 8th Octr. 1830/Being 32 days old/ Condition: No major tilt or break. Some green moss and lichen covered surface. Well preserved except for one deep crack on the right side and a few smaller cracks and pitting on surface. This grey standstone marker is crested by one large incised rosette flanked by two smaller ones; all three rosettes are enclosed in roundels. The rosette, consisting of five or more petals, was a popular ornament on Scottish tombstones and in this instance, symbolized Wilkie's Scottish origins. There are two decorative vertical lines incised on each side of the headstone and the space allocated to James Wilkie's name is indented. The stone's decorative detailing features no overt religious imagery, although its shape echoes that of a portal or door. The Scottish-born James Wilkie was a prominent local merchant. In 1827, his 7-person included 2 male servants and 2 female servants. He also boasted 60 acres of cultivated land, along with a horse, 20 horned cattle, 3 sheep and 3 swine. Wilkie married twice; Elizabeth Trotter, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Trotter, in 1830 and Annie E. McDonald, sister of Dr. William MacDonald, in 1835. Catherine Hirbour [ Back ]