Caledonian Mercury, 15th April 1826
Caledonian Mercury, 15th April 1826It is our unpleasant duty to relate that Doctor Martin Elliot died in the late house fire in George Street. Dr Elliot has been unwell for some time, suffering from a disease of the brain that occasioned hallucinations. A large crowd gathered to witness the conflagration, with many cheering, doubtless unaware that Dr Elliot was within the building. Some of the spectators claimed to hear a man singing Maggie Lauder, an old tune that many of the crowd also sang. When the fire was eventually extinguished, it was discovered that every surviving clock in the house had stopped at six minutes past six, which was the exact time of the doctor’s death. Another intriguing factor was the strange survival of a manuscript on which th
