Between Leo and Kate in 3D, Julian Fellowes’ Downton-by-the-Sea and the frankly bizarre cruise holiday, it’s been hard to avoid the 100th anniversary of the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic this week.
Despite recess, it has of course made an appearance in motions laid at Holyrood. And while the combination of John Mason, religion and parochialism doesn’t normally score points in Better Nation’s esteemed consideration of such things, this week it’s a little different.
Of course, it has all the trappings of a WMOTW – shameless local promotion with scant politics, cobbled onto an opportune global news story. But for some reason I’ve found Mason’s commemoration of John Harper, a Scottish pastor en route to Chicago who lost his life while saving others, a poignant little piece of social history, deserving of note. My black unionist heart must be melting.
I’m sure with the end of recess, normal crap parliamentary chat will resume.
Motion S4M-02610: John Mason, Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 12/04/2012
Remembering RMS Titanic, 100 Years On
That the Parliament notes that 15 April 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic, considered to be one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history, which is believed to have resulted in the deaths of 1,514 people; understands that John Harper, a Baptist pastor from Houston, Renfrewshire, who was en route to preach in Chicago, died trying to help others on the ship; considers that memories of Mr Harper live on at what is now the Harper Memorial Baptist Church, but was originally the Paisley Road Baptist Church, where he became the pastor in 1897; notes that the church will host a Titanic Weekend event to mark the anniversary, and remembers with sadness all of those who lost family and friends in this tragic moment in history.
Supported by: Bill Kidd, Margaret Burgess, Sandra White, Adam Ingram, Dave Thompson, Stuart McMillan, Mike MacKenzie, Richard Lyle, Humza Yousaf, Dennis Robertson, Roderick Campbell
#1 by Ross on April 13, 2012 - 6:19 pm
If i remember right, thats the pastor who tried to stop Christians getting on the lifeboats as they were already saved and non-believers needed more time to convert.
#2 by Kirsty on April 13, 2012 - 6:29 pm
Not sure about stopping Christians, but there is a tale that he called for ‘women, children, and the unsaved’ to head for the lifeboats, and that he gave his own life jacket up to someone who wasn’t saved (which then saved them, in the more useful (at least to me) sense of the word). I’m pretty sure most of it is as made-up baloney romanticism as haunts every Titanic tale…
#3 by Alec on April 14, 2012 - 11:52 am
Yes, even the notion of menfolk bravely staying behind as lifeboats were reserved for women and children is open to debate. It aint that menfolk did bravely stay behind… it’s that the initial order for women and children first was mistranslated as women and children only, even when half empty lifeboats were being lowered.
~alec
#4 by Barbarian on April 13, 2012 - 7:16 pm
Just wait until we get to 2014, and then stand by for a deluge of “700 years” WMOTW!
#5 by Angus McLellan on April 14, 2012 - 1:36 am
Oh, 2014 is good for anniversaries. 100 yrs since start of WW1, 150 since end of Taiping Revolt (bloodiest conflict to that date, 20 million+ dead), 200 since Napoleon sent to Elba, 300 since death of last Stewart monarch, 400 since publication of Napier’s book on logarithms (hmm, I have a slide rule somewhere), 500 since Battle of Hornshole (says Wikipedia, never heard of it) and 1000 since Battle of Clontarf and death of Brian Boru.
But yes, among all that lot we should not forget that Oslo became capital of Norway in 1314.
#6 by Barbarian on April 14, 2012 - 9:35 am
Omg! That’s NINE already. perhaps whoever comes up with the motion can cover them all in one go! And I bet someone will find some obscure reference to a Scot who died in the Taiping Revolt…….
#7 by Kirsty on April 14, 2012 - 10:00 am
Oh dear. I think 2014 WMOTW will have to have a special category for anniversaries now…
#8 by Alec on April 14, 2012 - 11:59 am
Two hundred since Bonaparte’s exile to Elba. Maybe there was a Scottish soldier attending.
Two hundred and sixty six since Adam Smith’s first public lectures.
Two since John Mason’s seminal MotW on John Harper.
~alec
#9 by Alec on April 14, 2012 - 12:07 pm
Dash, I had Bonaparte on my mind after Angus’ suggestion… could I change it to two thousand since the death of Augustus?
#10 by Angus McLellan on April 14, 2012 - 7:07 pm
Augustus will be a challenge for MOTW.
The fort at Dun Ollaig (Oban) was built(1) in 714, so that’s 1300 years. And if you’re inclined to take the Annales Cambriae seriously it could possibly be the 1400th anniversary of the death of St Mungo.
(1) OK “rebuilt”, but this is MOTW territory here and not papers for the Innes Review.
#11 by Alec on April 14, 2012 - 9:36 pm
On his death, he was declared not to be a god, so there’s summat about humility there.
Maybe the Battle of Halys? I suppose we could wrangle it with changes to the calendars to declare that this cardinal date was 2,500 years whence.
~alec
#12 by Observer on April 14, 2012 - 12:22 pm
Kirsty – if you are going to mention the Titanic please do not bring Leo & Kate into it. My motion would say that the Parliament agrees that the film which recognises the Titanic disaster was called ”A Night to Remember” & had nothing to do with James Cameron. Although Cameron’s Titanic does have a ring about it – see the present UK government.
#13 by Kirsty on April 14, 2012 - 1:01 pm
Quite agree: http://www.betternation.org/2012/01/uk-titanic-sez-tory-mp/imgres-3/