Archibald Ritchie and family

 The above gravestone is most impressive and probably cost a fair penny but sadly it hasn't stood the test of time very well and the text is now virtually unreadable. I'm noting here the text as found in Sheila A. Scott's book Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions pre 1855:

Archibald Ritchie born 1748, died 1815, his wife Mary Lewisham, born 1755, died 1821; John Ritchie born 1784 died 1865, his wife Wilhelmina Stevenson born 1790 died 1859,  daughter Mary wife of Peter Stenhouse, born 1820 died 1868, daughter Jean born 1834 died 1836; William Ritchie born 1822 died 1901, wife Agnes Houliston born 1827 died 1909, both buried Natal SA; Archibald Ritchie born 1814 died 1866, wife Agnes Ballantyne, born 1819 died 1874; William Davidson, born 1824 died 1864, wife Janet Ritchie born 1825 died 1894; John Ritchie born 1845 died 1924, only son Archibald born 1891 died 1927.

It's hard to date the gravestone. It's certainly not contemporary with the oldest burials as far as I can tell. It was probably erected by more recent generations and they included their forebears on the stone.

Andrew Scott and family

 I'm ticking off the gravestones I haven't recorded yet in Sheila A. Scott's book Peeblesshire Monumental Inscriptions pre 1855 and they are becoming increasingly rare to find. Not just because I have done most of them by now but mostly because the stones are so hard to find. However I have no idea why I haven't done this one before as it's quite large and impressive. Here is the text:

Erected

by Andrew Scott, Leith

in memory of

Janet Penman, his wife

who died there 3rd October 1849

aged 58 years

and of Janet Scott, his daughter

wife of David Downie (could be Dowie), West Calder

who died there 4th October 1849

aged 30 years

also of Elizabeth, wife of the

Rev'd John Scott, Montego Bay

Jamaica, who died there 15th Nov. 1848

aged 20 years

and of his son, the Rev'd John Scott

of the Presbyterian Church

Montego Bay, who died there 4th Dec. 1848

in the 28th year of his age

and 2nd of his ministry.

Cease ye from man whose breath is in

his nostrils by wherein is he to be accounted of.. Isaiah II 22

Andrew Scott

who died 7th June 1861 aged 59 years.

Andrew Scott certainly lived with a lot of tragedies in his life! Wife and Daughter dying within a day of each other and losing his son and daughter-in-law within a fortnight of each other in a far flung place, probably as a result of some epidemic or other. 

On the back of the same gravestone there is another inscription:

Marion Scott

born 31st March 1830

died 31st March 1835

Was this yet another tragedy? It seems more than likely that this was Andrew Scott's young daughter, died at the age of exactly 5 years. How does a person live through all that? 

John Porteous and family

This is one of the larger grave monuments in the graveyard. Here is the text:

In

loving remembrance of

Anne Gray

wife of

John Porteous

Townhead West Linton

who died 29th Jan'y 1876

aged 54 years

deeply regretted

also the above

John Porteous

who died at Norwich U.S.A.

21st Nov'r 1902 aged 78 years

also

Christine Porteous

thier daughter who died

at New York 30th May 1901(?)

aged 45 years

interred in Yantic Cemetary

Norwich Conn. USA

And on the pedestal:

Lead kindly light

William Paterson and famiy

This is a much more modern gravestone in the graveyard and by the time the last person was buried there it was well into the 20th Century.

Here is the full text:

Erected by

William Peterson

farmer Felton

in loving memory of

Christina, his daughter

who died 12th Feb. 1909

aged 16 months

Also Jessie, his daughter

who died 16th Nov. 1912

aged 7 months

Also Marion Neilson, his wife

who died at East Kinleith, Currie

29th Dec. 1926 aged 57 years

The above

William Paterson

who died at Kirkton, Blackford

3rd Feb. 1950, aged 83 years.

Also Marion Semple

eldest daughter of above

who died in Canada, Aug. 1952

aged 51 years

Also their son James

who died 18th July 1988

aged 84 years.

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.

George Grainger and Elizabeth Hutson

As you see this stone is placed close to St. Andrews Church in the graveyard but despite being relatively recent the text is very difficult to read in places. Here is what is still visible:

In memory of

Elizabeth Hutson

wife of George Grainger

who died 17th March 1877 aged 33 years

Margaret their daughter

who died 28th January 1877 aged 5 months

the above

George Grainger

died ................July 1885

aged 55 years

Adam their son

died at ...........................China

April 1921 aged 55 years

Isabella Ritchie their daughter

died 3 (or 8?) July 1951

aged ..................

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.

Grace Tennant and John Aitken

A relatively recent stone but already it has bitten the dust so to speak. It's strange how it seems to be the more recent ones that have fallen over. The older stones were made more substantial and have stood the test of time.

The text reads:

In

memory of

Grace Tennant

wife of

John Aitken

who died 16th October 1910

aged 80 years

Also the said

John Aitken

who died 10th March 1913 (?)

aged 87 years

Also their daughter

Elizabeth

died at Medicine Ha(or u?)t

Saskatchewan

19th Dec 1949

interred in Maple Creek Cemetary

John Paterson and Jean Tweedie

The text reads:

Erected

in Memory of

John Paterson

who died the 23 March 1831

aged 84 years

Also

Jean Tweedie his Spouse

who died the 18th Sept. 1821

aged 79 years

William Neil, died at Montreal LC

21st July 1834 aged 55 years

Elisabeth Patterson Neil died at Long Grove

Iowa, US, 2nd December 1866, aged 86 years

Jane Watson Neil, died at Welland, UC

18th January 1865, aged 51 years

Isabella Keel Neil died at Thurald UC

4th February 1861, aged 41

From this I deduce there are 3 generations mentioned here, John Paterson and his wife Jean Tweedie, their daughter Elisabeth Patterson (I presume this is a misspelling and she is a Paterson) Neil and her husband William Neil, and their two daughters Jane and Isabella.

Elisabeth Paterson apparently emigrated to the US as some stage either with her husband or she met her husband there.