Memorial To Fairburn Family To West Of Church Of St Mary (12 Metres South South West Of Memorial To John Brooks

The memorial to the Fairbairn family is located to the west of the Church of St Mary, approximately 12 meters south-southwest of the memorial to John Brooks. This tomb chest dates from either around 1859-1860 or 1874-1875 and commemorates several members of the Fairbairn family: Peter, son of William Fairbairn (died 1859); John, the eldest son of William Fairbairn (died 1867); George, the fourth son of William Fairbairn (died 1868); Sir William Fairbairn, L.L.D., the first baronet of Ardwick (died 1874); and Dame Dorothy Fairbairn, his wife (died 1882).

The memorial is made of polished grey granite set on a sandstone base. It features a broad rectangular base with remnants of the feet of former cast-iron railings, a plain sandstone plinth, and a shallow chest with an elegant design characterized by deep cavetto sides and a shallow hipped upper surface. The north slope of the chest displays the inscriptions for the sons, while the south side is dedicated to Sir William and Dame Dorothy Fairbairn.

Sir William Fairbairn (1789-1874) was a prominent engineer, born in Kelso as the son of a farm servant. He began his engineering career at coal mining sites in northeast England before moving to Manchester, where he formed a partnership with James Lillie in 1817 to manufacture machinery for cotton mills. He became a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers in 1830 and was recognized as one of the leading bridge-building and engineering consultants of the mid-19th century.