From Herring Queen to a monarch of the classroom

Mary, who taught P3 and 4 at the school from 1972 to 1985, passed away peacefully at Eastwood Nursing Home in Giffnock, Glasgow, on 8 February.

Born on 27 August, 1923 in Eyemouth, she was the daughter of herring fisherman Peter Craig who named her after his boat – The Mary Swanston.

In 1939 the town was looking for a young woman to become the inaugural Herring Queen at a new festival to celebrate the town's fishing industry, and Mary was chosen after graduating top of the class at school. Following a seven-year hiatus during World War II the festival was re-established and has been held every year to this day.

Mary, who remains the longest-serving Herring Queen, handed over her crown that year but she returned in 1989 to lead the procession in its 50th anniversary.

In 1940 she caught the eye of Peter Bourhill, whose family regularly left their home in Gowkshill, near Gorebridge, for their holidays in Eyemouth. The couple had a brief romance before he was sent to war as an aircraft engineer, first in England and later North Africa.

Mary went off to university in Edinburgh and, after gaining her masters, decided to pursue a career in teaching and enrolled at Moray House.

She kept in touch with Peter throughout the war and in 1947, with the war over, the pair rekindled their romance and they married in 1952.

The couple moved into Peter's family home in Gowkshill and Mary soon took time off teaching to raise her three children, Janette, Peter and Muriel, and look after Peter's ailing mother.

She returned to teaching in 1969 at Mayfield Primary School before moving on to Woodburn in 1972.

Son Peter said: "My mother took a real interest in the children, especially those who were disadvantaged. She used to come home in tears for some of these children because she desperately wanted to help them.

"She cared as much about our education and, despite money being tight, offered to send us all to private school in Edinburgh. My sisters didn't want to leave their friends but I decided to go to George Heriot's."

Following her retirement she volunteered at the local Oxfam store, where she became a popular member of staff.

Her funeral was held at Mortonhall Crematorium's Pentland Chapel on Monday, attended by many of her family, friends, former pupils, colleagues and Oxfam volunteers.

She leaves behind her husband, three children, and two granddaughters, Lydia and Harriet.