Saturday 19 May 2012

The Laing family


Some of the gravestones in the graveyard are quite sober, no decoration at all, only the inscriptions. When I first started to document the stones it was the imagery on them that attractedf me but over time I have come to appreciate the text just as much. This stone is no longer readable towards the bottom but the text from the top that can still be read says:

Erected
to the memory of
Robert Laing let Gard
ner of Spittelhaugh who
died December 26th 1810 aged
65 years          also
Elizabeth Laing who died
14th December 1788 aged 11 months also
George Laing who died 14th April 1804
aged 23 years. Also four grand child
ren who died in their infancy
also.......
The gravestone is located very close to the Spittlehaugh mausoleum building in the graveyard, and perhaps the stone was paid for by his employers there.
There is also text on the reverse of the stone which can be seen above. It says as best as I can decipher it:

In memory of
George Laing, born 1858, died 1905
George Laing his father died 1893
Jess Tait his mother died 1901
John Laing his grandfather died 1855
Helen Ranken Cairns his aunt died 1891
Charles Ranken Laing his uncle died 1892
and their relatives.

I'm guessing here but surmise that the grandfather was a son of the Robert Laing mentioned on the other side of the stone. And there must be some relationship with  some of the people mentioned within the Spilttlehaugh enclosure (see a previous post here). Am I being very romantic in imagining the great something grandson of the gardener eventually married a great something granddaughter of the landowner?

Thursday 17 May 2012

The Lawson family


This gravestone has lost its top which is laying behind it on the ground  (see below)and the words Erected in memory of can just be seen. It tells a tale of tragic loss of many children, which explains the inscription on the pedestal. Here comes the text:

Thomas Lawson who died
at Waterside 31st January 1852 aged 66 years
and
Mary Ritchie his wife who died at
Boghowse 24th March 1872 aged 60  years
Also
Marion, Helen and Jane
who died in the prime of life. Also
George and John Lawson
who died in youth. Also
Helen granddaughter who died in infancy.
Archibald Lawson died at Edinburgh
18th March 1879 aged 52 years
and Charlotte Dunlop his wife
who died 27th June 1917 aged 80 years
also the children of Archibald
and Charlotte Lawson. Thomas Ritchie who
died at Kirkhill 12th May 1868 aged 6 months
Alexander Dunlop who died at Edinburgh
12 September 1870 aged 3 years
and Mary Ritchie who died at Edinburgh
6th July 1875 aged 6 years
Charles Archibald died 25th February 1877 aged 2 years
Marion Thomson died 5th November 1922

Finally on the bottom there is the following verse:

Suffer little children to come unto me
and forbid them not
for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Tuesday 15 May 2012

John Gray and family

It has been some time since I went to the graveyard to document some more graves and I took Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions - pre 1855, by Sheila A Scott with me to find some of the gravestones she mentions and that I hadn't seen yet myself. I found several today and for the one above I'm also indebted to the book for the full text as it's been eroded by wind and weather and some parts were very difficult to decifer. Here is the inscription:

Sacred
to the memory
of John Gray late overseer
Whim who died April 1794 Aged
50 years. And of Jean White
his wife who died April 1819 Aged
67 years. And of Ann Gray their
daughter who died September 1821
Aged 28 years. And of Rachel
and Jean who died in infancy.
Also  William died Brimmershall estate St Mary's
Jamaica on 16th November 18?? aged 40
being absent 20 years from Scotland.

A blessed eternity we hope
with God in heaven to spend
where congregations never break up
and Sabbath never ends

Erected
as a tribute of gratitude to
his parents by John Gray overseer
Barrock Lodge county Cumberland

Apparently there was more text that has now disappeared below ground and according the Sheila A Scott's book it said: John Tweedie their grandson, died 4th March 1830 aged 14.

Saturday 12 May 2012

Mary and Robert Porteous

Another sad example of children dying while still in their infancy can be read on this stone set into the outside wall of one of the mausolea in the graveyard. The text reads:

Erected
in memory of
Mary and Robert
Porteous who died
in West Linton
Mary aged 3 years
and Robert one.

Be ye also ready

1861


Friday 11 May 2012

John Hogg Todd and family

This relatively modern stone located close to the side wall of the graveyard tells a sad tale. Here is the full text:
In loving memory of
John Hogg Todd
shepherd Hareshaw
who died 1st March 1812
aged 59 years
and
Rachael Cowan
his wife
who died 4th March 1895
aged 36 years
Robert
their son died 10th Sep 1887
aged 10 months

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Walter Brydon and Margaret Henderson

Here is another of the more recent gravestones in the graveyard. The text reads as follows;
In
loving memory
of
Walter Brydon
son-in-law of
Arch'd Henderson
who died 30th Nov 1925
aged 59 years
also
Marg't C. Henderson
wife of the above
Walter Brydon
who died 2nd March 1944
aged 73 years.

Monday 7 May 2012

William White and Mary Falconer

A relatively recent stone and one referring to a cottage (Deepsykehead) not far from us, in the same lane. You can see how it is positioned in the graveyard relative to the church just visible on the left.

The text reads:
In
loving memory of
William White
who died at Deepsykehead
26th Jan'y 1912
aged 67 years
also
Mary Falconer
his wife who died at
Rachan Cottages, Broughton
25th Feb 1922, aged 76 years


Sunday 6 May 2012

John Kirk and Agnes Dickson

This stone is very weathered although the text remains clear. It reads as follows:

Erected
by
John Kirk
in memory of
his dearly beloved wife
Agnes Dickson
who died at Deanfoot
on the 24th April 1892
aged 62 years
Also the above
John Kirk
who died 12th Nov 1910
aged 77 years.

Not lost but gone before.


Friday 4 May 2012

William Alexander of Leith and family

There are only 2 plaques set into the wall separating West Linton Graveyard from neighbouring houses and this is the second one. The text is very difficult (and in some places impossible) to read so I'm indebted to Sheila A. Scott's book Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions - pre 1850 for the full information to be found on this one.

It says:
Erected by
William Alexander Leith
in memory of Jean Dickson his mother
died Carlops 25th March 1810, aged 35 years
Also Elizabeth his daughter
died at Leith 2nd February 1839 aged 3 years
William Alexander merchant there
died 2nd March 1851 aged 48

1840

Tuesday 1 May 2012

James Sanderson and family

Another impressive obelisk in the graveyard which has the following text;


In memory of
James Sanderson
Blyth Bank
born 12th August 1793
died 14th May 1868
Also of
William his son
born 9th January 1835
died 22nd July 1835
Mary Sanderson
wife of Wm Shanks
died 12th Feb 1868
aged 27
buried in Paisly
cenetary
Grace Sanderson
wife of
John Gibson died
1st August 1869 aged 39
buried in Pittenmain
Margaret Sanderson
wife of
Frederick Heggie
died 11th July aged 36
buried at Kirkcaldy
Also
Mary Wyper wife of
James Sanderson who
died at Trinity 16th August
1886 aged 87 years


It looks like somehow the year of death for Margaret SAnderson was overlooked in the engraving. Probably an oversight by the stonemason who did the work.