Delting Disaster

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia that anyone can edit

On the 21st December 1900 four boats and twenty two men were lost.

The Kate of Swinister, Skipper L. Nicolson with six onboard, the Christina of Firth, Skipper P. Nicolson with six onboard and the William John of Toft, Skipper J. Laurenson with five onboard. The name of the fourth boat, from Nashion, and of her Skipper, also with five onboard is not recorded.

The memorial which stands near the Mossbank junction bears the names of the men lost, they were:

Name	Home	Age
James Cogle	Toft	49
John Cogle	Mosbank	39
Laurence Cooper	Toft	37
Thomas Cooper	Toft	40
Henry Corkish	Swinister	56
John Hay	Firth	28
Hugh Hughson	Toft	48
John Hughson	Toft	18
Hugh Jamieson	Toft	38
John Laurenson	Nashion	56
Charles Nicolson	Firth	75
Charles Nicolson Jnr.	Firth	29
Gilbert Nicolson	Swinister	26
John Nicolson	Firth	42
Laurence Nicolson	Swinister	53
Laurence Nicolson Jnr.	Swinister	20
Peter Nicolson	Firth	37
William Nicolson	Firth	45
William Nicolson	Swinister	29
Robert Robertson	Firthsness	41
Peter Smith	Nashion	66
Hunter Sutherland	Clett	16

The enscription at the bottom of the memorial reads:
"You see dey wirna mine, Da Loard gae dem tae me fir a time and dan he took dem back ageen"
Attributed to the widow of Charles Nicolson.

The memorial also bears this poem:

Mortal Spirit

Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
Like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast flying cloud,
Like a flash of the lightning, a sweep of the wave,
Man passes from life to rest in the grave.

Our youthful companions whom we tenderly loved,
Are from our affections forever removed,
Death numbers them now with the things that are passed,
They fled like the snowflakes that whirled in the blast.

'Tis the wink of an eye, 'tis the draught of a breath,
From the bossum of health to the paleness of death,
From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud,
Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud!