Janet Todd and Thomas Watson + family

This gravestone clearly demonstrates how families used the same plot going down the years. The inscription reads:

Erected

by Janet Todd

in memory of her husband

Thomas Watson

who died 18th June 1855 aged 70 years

also

Ann Watson her daughter

who died 28th Dec 1853 aged 46 years

also John Todd her brother

who died 23rd January 1857 aged 73 years

also the above

Janet Todd who died 9th April 1870 aged 85 years

and

Janet Watson her daughter

who died 29th November 1870 aged 53 years

and

Jane Watson her daughter 

who died 6th May 1893 aged 79 years

also Christina Watson, her daughter wife of

David Harkness, died 17th March 1899 aged 75 years

also Janet Callan her granddaughter

died 13th July 1908 aged 84 years.

Archibald Wilson

This is without doubt one of the most interesting gravestones in West Linton Graveyard. It portrays a man dressed in wonderful costume and cloak. The writing must once have been on the other side of the stone

as seen above but it has now entirely disappeared. In Sheila A. Scott's book Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions - pre 1850, it merely stated that it belongs to Archibald Wilson and as can still be seen, just underneath the crossbones, it dates back to 1705. I think the costume was contemporary to that time. Also note the splendid skull and spirals at the top and the very ornately carved pillars and garland. Whoever he might have been Archibald Wilson must have been very well-to-do. This gravestone required an expert mason who no doubt charged a pretty penny.

I'm almost sure he was the Archibald Wilson who was born in 1651 and had a wife called Margaret Hope (born in 1655) who are mentioned in archives here . The gravestone also get a mention on the ancient monuments Scotland site under West Linton. Can we see his face above? Sadly it has received a few dents over time but his wig still looks very impressive. This became my blip for today.

 The details of the carving are beautiful such as the shoe buckle above

and his fabulous costume down to the last button. He seems quite at peace with his folded hands. I wish I knew more about him but sadly this is not to be. However his amazing gravestone means that he won't be forgotten!

Alexander Denham

One of the older gravestones in the graveyard is adorned with lovely carving. Featuring a beautiful winged soul on the front where the inscription is. It says:

Here lyes the body of Alexander Denham tennant

in Combhouse who died June 22 175?, aged 66 years

and also Alexander Denham his son

who died October 6th 1760

aged 26 years

At the very bottom of the stone, almost overcome with lichen and moss some words can still be deciphered. I think they say: Mind sonstime runs death path.

Under that there is a Latin description of which very few words can still be read and from Googling that I have deduced the following. The Latin probably reads: via lethi semel est omnibus calcare?? The translation might well be: One night awaits all and must travel death path once.

And there might have been more on this side but if so it has disappeared forever. But don't you just love that cheeky face caught between the skull and the crossbones. Just who is this meant to be?

John Smellie (I think!)

As you can see it's not longer possible to read the information on this gravestone as it has fallen over long ago. But it's situated right next to the Hunter grave monument (posted earlier) and that led me back to Sheila A. Scott's book Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions and from that I am fairly sure that this stone belongs to John Smellie, tenant Soutmains, who died on the 27th October 1880 aged 69 as well as to his wife Margaret Brown who died 18th June 1843 aged 72. However at least one of these dates is almost surely wrong as otherwise Margaret must have married a veritable toybox with a 40 year age difference. This seems to be highly unlikely! Not impossible, I grant you, but sadly unless this stone gets back on its feet we'll never know.

Alexander F. Farquharson

Back iin action after several days being unable to blog because of a bug to do with using Internet Explorer as my browser. But the good news is that since yesterday we're finally on Broadband, even though it is by no means as fast as you would find in urban localities. However it's at least 7 times as fast my my dial-up so I'm definitely not complaining.

This is a relatively modern stone and with misleading information in Sheila A. Scott's book Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions who insists the dates of Alexander and his wife are in the 1800s rather than the 1900s. The date of the death of the son alone should have informed her that the parents couldn't possible have died before they could have had a son!
Here is the inscriptions:

Erected to the memory of

Alexander F. Farquharson

who died at Lonely Bield

24th June 1908 aged 69 years

and Margaret Rodger his wife

who died 28th March 1925 (or8)

aged 87

also Andrew their son

who died 2nd January 1912

aged 45 years

Thomas Stodart and family

This stone too is located in the wall dividing the graveyard from the Main Street in West Linton. The text says:

Erected

to the memory of

Thomas Stodart

tenant of Whitfield who died

at Kilcreggan 20th Jan 1879 aged 77

Robina Ker Aitchison his wife

who died 4th Sep 1880 aged 72

George Stodart eldest son of

T. Stodart Whitfield

who died the 11th June 1846

aged 15 years

Mary Aitchison

eldest daughter of T. Stodart

died on the 28th October 1851

aged 22

And at the bottom:

Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

William Hunter and family

What with one thing or another it has been quite some time since I spend time in the graveyard to continue my work of photographing and documenting all the gravestones. Since I was last there the surrounding walls have become a riot of colour which makes the graveyard look even lovelier.

This stone is set against the wall dividing the graveyard from the Main Street and the inscription reads as follows:

In loving memory

of

William Hunter

farmer Tarfhaugh

who died 25th june 1894

aged 84 years

and

Janet Smellie

his wife who died 3rd Dec'r 1879

aged 71 years

Also Walter, their son

farmer Noblehall who died 12th Oct

1919 aged 75 years

also Margaret Tweeddale

wife of the above Walter, died

at Auchrannie 26th July 1939

aged 80 years

also Margaret their daughter

who died 7th September 1920

aged 74 years

also Mary Tweeddale

daughter of the above Walter

who died 26th February 1969

aged 78

also William son of the above Walter

who died 4th January 1973

aged 90 years.

This last is written on the pedastal, as the stone was full.

Here is a detailed picture of the lovely flower cascade right next to this stone. It also became my blip for today.