There is a striking monument in the churchyard to the memory of Lord Henry Murray, fifth son of the Duke of Atholl. The inscription states--"This sincere testimonial of affection and deep regret for their commander and their friend is erected by the officers of the regiment." He was the Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the Royal Manx Fencibles, and died in 1805, at the age of thirty-eight years.
In the Kirk Braddan Cemetery, situated not far from the old churchyard, is buried John Martin, the celebrated artist, and brother of the notorious Jonathan Martin, who set fire to York Minster, and the eccentric William Martin, the anti-Newtonian philosopher. Martin painted some remarkable pictures, and was a man of genius. He was one of the most popular artists of his day, although he was never a member of the Royal Academy. According to the local guide-books, "his latest productions,--'The Great Day of His Wrath,' 'The Day of Judgment,' and 'The Plains of Heaven,'--owe much of their atmospheric grandeur and scenery to the residence of the painter on this island." A marble slab on a large square vault bears the following inscription:--
In memory of JOHN MARTIN, historical painter, born at Haydon Bridge, Northumberland, 19th July 1789, died at Douglas, Isle of Man, 17th February 1854.
Martin was a man greatly esteemed, and did much to promote intercourse between men and women devoted to literature, science, and art. Mr. Samuel Carter Hall, in his pleasant "Memoirs of Great Men," supplies a genial sketch of this artist. "Martin, like so many other artists," says Mr. Hall, "had a terrible wrestle with adversity on his way to fame. I remember his telling me that once he 'owned' a shilling; it was needful to hoard it, but, being very hungry, he entered a baker's shop to buy a penny loaf. To his shame and dismay, he found the shilling was a bad one. 'So long afterwards,' added the painter, then at the realisation of his hopes and aims, 'when I had a shilling, I took care to get it changed into penny-pieces.'"
A gravestone in the churchyard of Santon Parish Church contains the following curious inscription:--
Here, friend, is little Daniel's tomb-- To Joseph's age he did arrive. Sloth killing thousands in their bloom, While labour kept poor Dan alive. How strange, yet true, full seventy years Was his wife happy in her tears!