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?

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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



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.



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

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.