John Stewart and family

I spend some time this morning in West Linton Graveyard and for once I was not the only person there. In fact you could say it was busy as an entire school class was running around looking at the gravestones and exclaiming about the various sculpted stones. It's good to see that they are hopefully being taught about how interesting these stones are and that they are to be appreciated.  I'm doing my bit by documenting them in picture and text.

Detail of frond leaves at the top

This stone is set into the sidewall of the graveyard  and has a tragic tale to tell although the details are now hidden in the mist of time. The full text reads:

Erected

in memory of John Stewart

who died at Carlops the 17th of

Sept 1853 aged 71 years

Also

Margaret Hislop his wife who died on

the 16th August 1842 aged 48 years

Also Robert Stewart their son, killed

accidentally 25th May 1855

aged 41

erected by a friend

This really made me wonder if the "friend" had anything to do with the accident but sadly we will never know what happened.