William Sanderson

This stone is hard to read and even when Sheila A. Scott composed her book Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions - pre 1855, in 1971 the full text was apparently partly gone already. Here is what is still clear:

Hear(!) lyes the body of

William Sanderson, who

died the 9th June 1787 aged 75

years and H.......

his spouse who died ..............

aged 57 years

Betty Sanderson

There is no indication of how Betty Sanderson is related to William and his wife but my guess would be daughter. There are no dates related to her and it doesn't look as if there ever were.

As you can see this gravestone is located very close to the memorial to the poet Robert Sanderson which makes me suspect there is a family connection. You can see Robert's portrait just peeking up above this one.

William Keyden

As you can see this gravestone is tucked away in a corner of the graveyard, in a corner next to the grave memorial for another Reverend, built into the wall separating the graveyard from the Main Street. It has deteriorated to the extend that it can no longer be read although I could just about descern the name of the deceased. Here is the text according to Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions - pre 1855, compiled by Sheila A. Scott.

In memory of

William Keyden

writer to the Signet

third son of Reverend William Keyden

minister of Penpoint, Dumfriesshire

born 15th September 1768

died 5th January 1826

Quite sad to see it in such a decrepit state, with all that wood piled in front of it!

John Tweedie

Another of the more impressive grave monuments in the graveyard. Here is the text:

In

loving memory of

John Tweedie R.N. J.P.

born 7th August 1822

died 24th March 1907

"I am the resurrection and the life"

Margaret Alexander

As it is Valentine's day I 'm uploading this gravestone which was erected by a husband for his wife. The very last act of love he could do for her, even though she was no longer around to appreciate the gesture.

The text reads:

Erected by

William Somerville

in memory of

Margaret Alexander his wife who

died at Gorebridge July 17th 1825

aged 33 years

Also Four of their children who died young

Christina Pringle and James Geddes

A gravestone with a bit of a mystery attached. Although it's clear that a husband and wife are buried here, there is no indication of who the names at the end represent. But I will hazard a guess that it concerns their infant children. Part of the text seems to have vanished, removed or simply fallen down.

Here is the full text:

In memory of

Christina Pringle

beloved wife of

James Geddes

died at Hallmyre, 8th March 1888

aged 52 years

James Geddes

husband of the above

died 10th Dec. 1923, aged 92 years

James, Thomas, Alexander

Robert, Margaret, Isabella.

James Alexander and Elizabeth Junkison

It has been awhile since I was last in the West Linton Graveyard and it was good to be back this morning. I feel so at home now although I still come across new discoveries every time I'm back. This is a very old stone with a beautiful scene, where a skull at the top oversees the Theatre of Life below. The curtains are drawn back to give us a better view.

This is the text side of the stone topped by a very cheerful looking winged soul. She's probably very happy with her splendid wings and the way the top of the stone intermingles with her hairdo!.

As you can tell the text is almost gone but you can just about still read the top few lines which say:

Here lyes

James Alexander

And his wife

Elizabeth Junkison

Also..............William

..................son.........

I have the book Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions -pre 1855 by Sheila A Scott to thank for dating this stone back to 1760.

Tod and Garnock

As you can see the beautifully sculpted top of this gravestone has come off and is now resting in front of the stone itself. It must have been a very impressive monument in its day with elegant pillars down the side. I think the family must have a connection with the one in an earlier blogpost here.

Here is the text as I read it:

Sacred to the memory of

John Garnock Tod

beloved son of William Tod

who died 27th May 1920

aged 44 years

William Tod, died 21st May 1925

for 34 years

keeper of North Esk Reservoir

aged 73 years

David Garnock

son of John Garnock

died 31st July 1924, aged 74 years

Margaret Farquhar

wife of David Garnock

interred in Old Deer Churchyard

16th June 1927

Katherine Graham Garnock

widow of H.J. Forer (?)

died 29th Feb 1932

interred Dean Cemetary

Maria Theresa B. Garnock

widow of William Tod

died 4th August 1936 aged 84.

The position of keeper of the North Esk Reservoir seems to have been a heriditary one, passing from father to son.

The Thomson family

This is a very impressive grave monument in the shape of an obelisk, crowned by an urn. It's very hard to know exactly where to start reading the text as it continued on all four sides. At the top it says: Thomas Thomson & Jeanne Alexander. Glasgow. And this is where I began:

In loving memory

of their daughter

Isabella

born 17th February 1868, died 14th November 1875

an early deathbed is an early crown

for of such we know is the kingdom of heaven

Jeanne Alexander

died at Glasgow 4th Jan. 1919

in her 79th year

Thomas Thomson

eldest son of Robert and Isabella Thomson

died 6th March 1926, aged 93 years

In

loving memory of

Jennie Strachan Thomson

infant daughter of John Thomson

Lyne Lea, Mount Vernon, Glasgow

who died at Whim, Newlands

13th August 1886, aged 3 months

Also of the above

John Thomson

died at Lyne Lea, Mount Vernon, Glasgow

3rd August 1888, aged 40 years

James Robert Moffat

son of A R Moffat and Agnes Thomson

born at Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

died at Lyne Lea, Mount Vernon, Glasgow

12th Feburary 1885, aged 15 years

Agnes Thomson

widow of A.R. Moffat, died 1st Jan 1930

also Isabella T. Moffat, died 8th Nov 1938

In

affectionate remembrance of

Robert Thomson

formerly baker, West Linton

who died at Glasgow 25th April 1875

aged 65 years

Also John, his son

died 28th Nov 1837, aged 18 months

Isabella, his daugher

died 22nd July 1849, aged 11 years

also his wife

Isabella Thomson

died 11th March 1882, aged 72 years
Recognized by all her sons and daughters

as their best earthly friend

Also Isabella, their daughter died

at Lynwood, Liberton, 31st Oct. 1920

William, youngest son

died in Edinburgh, 31st July 1930

Also

to the memory

of

George Graham

their father

late tennant South Mains

who died 27th Feb 1878

aged 87 years

and

Elisabeth Thomson

his wife

who died 3rd February 1863

aged 65 years

Also Marion Graham

their daughter died at Fountainside 20th Feb 1887

aged 55 years.

At the very bottom of the pedastal it simply says: waiting.

As you can see above the obelisk is located very close to the church itself, which means that Robert Thomson, the baker, must have been an important citizen, as well as being quite well off. The grave is surrounded by what must once have been a beautiful ironwork railing, although sadly it is falling into disrepair rapidly, and parts of it have collapsed.

James McDougal and family

A very large inscription for the twice married James McDougal which reads as follows:

Erected

in memory of

James McDougal, late tennant

in Linton, who died at Whitfield on

the seventeenth day of Sept. 1822

in the eighty second year of his age

Also Agnes White, spouse to

James McDougal, tennant in Lint

on who died the first day of Jan

1806, aged 61 years. Also Francis

McDougal, their granddaughter who

died the 25 May 1821 aged 3 years

Also Joseph Magnaval late

merchant Linton who died 10 Feb

1850 aged 62 years

Also Elizabeth McDougal

his spouse who died 15 April 1837

aged 64 years

Also Jean Inch of Traquair

spouse to the above James McDougal

who died at Edinburgh 28 March 1859

aged 90 years