Series 1 > Diary of the Reverend John Mill, minister of the parishes of Dunrossness Sandwick and Cunningsburgh in Shetland, 1740-1803. With selections from local records and original documents relating to the district

INTRODUCTION
xlv
Epitaph on Mrs. Mill
(Elizabeth Thompson, 3rd Daughter of Baillie Thompson,
Edinburgh), who died February 9th 1758.
In her was Christ the hope of Glory form’d
And Love to Jesus all her Bosom warm’d
Fair as the Morn, her bright Example shone
It’s force attractive as the Magnet Stone
In each Relation of her Mortal Life
The Duteous Daughter and the Lovly wife
The tender Mother and the Mistress kind
The obliging Neighbour and the stedfast Friend
To Social Graces all her soul was turn’d
And Social Actions all her life adorn’d
If humble Souls and Souls of heart Contrite
If patient Souls and Souls to Christ unite
If souls that follow peace and Sanctity
If souls that Mercy love and Charity
If such Dear Souls commence Eternal Rest
When loos’d from Flesh, then hers is ever blest.
Sic mihi contingat vivere, sic mori.
3. Account of the Parish of Dunrossness.—This is a
valuable contribution from Mill’s pen to the topographical
literature of the district. It is of importance to the present
volume, as affording a contemporaneous description, carefully
and accurately done, of the place where the scene is laid, be¬
sides completing the view of the Diarist’s works. It has
been thought well for these reasons to include it among the
papers in the Appendix, although it is already in print,
in vol. vii. of the old Statistical Account of Scotland by
Sir John Sinclair, Bart., 1793, in which it is lost to sight,
practically unknown. It is stated in the Diary that the
queries were received from Sir John in September, and that
the Account in reply was forwarded to him in October 1790.
It is curious that he states in it that the new church was
built 4 a few years ago.’ In point of fact the foundations
were only marked off 2d June of that year, and the church
itself was not opened until the following year, 1791. There