Award-winning storytellers and tour guides, Mostly Ghostly, presented a special Heroes of the Titanic tour last Friday, marking the birth of Thomas Mullin, a young man from Dumfries who was tragically lost in the disaster, on April 15 1912.
Thomas, a Third Class Steward, was born on 26 August 1891 in Maxwelltown, and at the age of just 20, he perished in the sinking, along with his 21 year old school friend and Titanic Violinist, John (Jock) Law Hume, who famously played on with the band, as the ship lowered beneath the waves…
Telling us more about the tour, Mostly Ghostly Founder Kathleen Cronie said:
“We shared a very poignant evening with guests celebrating and remembering the lives of two local heroes, Thomas Mullin, and his friend, John Law Hume, in and around places the two lads would have known well during their short lives. We feel it’s important to highlight the strong local links with Titanic, and how this world famous disaster had a profound impact on local families and communities.”
Thomas was orphaned at a young age, both parent’s dying within days of each other. This must have had a tremendous impact on the family, who moved in with their maternal grandmother in Observatory Terrace.
Among his roles Tom was a pattern cutter at Rosefield Mills; he was very skilled but due to eyesight problems, had to give up this role, which firstly led to his recruitment as a steward on the St. Louis before he became a crew member on the ill-fated Titanic…
After his body was recovered, Thomas was laid to rest in Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Mostly Ghostly Team Member John Hill said:
“It’s heartening to see that Tom’s sacrifice is remembered here in Dumfries on his parent’s fine sandstone memorial in St Michael’s Cemetery.”
The evening ended with a hauntingly beautiful rendition of ‘Nearer My God to Thee’ performed by nineteen-year-old violinist, Anna Pearcey, from Dumfries.
Tour guest Jean Foster gave her views:
“Great tour packed with information and Anna’s violin playing was a lovely touch to end the evening. Well done.”
Regular tour guest Mandy Murray enthused:
“The tour was fantastic. The storytellers kept us entranced on our way around. The surprise ending brought a tear to our eyes.”
The team plan to confirm the next Heroes of the Titanic date very soon, and look forward to welcoming both local people and visitors alike to discover more about Dumfries and Galloway’s connections to the enduring story of Titanic and the local lives she touched…
- All booking info available at Ticketsource and the Midsteeple Box Office in Dumfries, or contact the team direct.
- Established in 2008, Mostly Ghostly are award-winning creators of a range of ghost and local history tours including: Dumfries Ghost Walk, Crichton Crypt Tour, Secret History of Closeburn Castle, and Dark Tales of Old Sanquhar. They are Dumfries & Galloway Life Tourism Champions 2012 and 2014 and were named Outstanding Tourism Business at the Dumfries and Galloway Chamber Awards 2022.
