Some Old Crosses and Unlettered Sepulchral Monuments Aberdeenshiren I Jamey B

II.

SOME OLD CROSSES AND UNLETTERED SEPULCHRAL MONUMENTS ABERDEENSHIREN I JAMEY B . S RITCHIE, F.E.I.S., CORK. MEM. S.A. SCOT. churchyardd ol e n somI th f eo Aberdeenshirn i s e b eo t ther e ar e seen stone f smalo s l siz whicn eo inscribee har d crosse f somewhao s t unusual shape and archaic design. They are few in number and insignificant, and, as they often lie in out-of-the-way corners, are not likel attraco yt notice casuae th tth f eo l visitor.

DYCE.

Ther foue ear r crosses l d differenal ,ol e seee formth n i b t n ni o t , churchyar f Dyceo d , which lies abou 2 milet s distant from Dyce Statio maie th n Greae n o lin th f eo t Nort Scotlanf ho d Railwayd an , abou 8 milet s from d Aberdeenchurcol f e Dyco s h Th wa e. dedicated to St Fergus, and dated from pre-Reformation times. Though now in a ruinous condition it was in use till 1872, when a new churc erecteneighbourhoods e sitth a h wa n en i d o littla t ebu , nearer the village. In a recess in the eastern gable of the old church are preserved the two well-known symbol stones, one of which has incised upo facs nit e wha usualle ar t y know"e spectaclth s na e"d " elean - phant " symbols, whil beautifua othee s eth ha r l cros raisef so d inter- 334 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 13, 1911.

laced work, round whic e carvedar h , als n reliefoi , severae th f o l familiar symbols found on incised stones. o1 f Dyce . jig.No 1.—Thi a smal s i s l a stoncros n o se which measure foos1 inche3 t heightn si inche0 1 , breadthn si inche4 d an ,s thicknessn i crose Th s. itsel s rudeli f y inciseo formetw y db d lines, intersecting at the centre, and appears to have been originally 10 inches i nsame lengtth breadth n ei d han , though, owinmutilatioe th o gt n of the stone, the upright line is only 9 inches long and the horizontal on inchese8 intersectio e Th . e crosth s enclosef si n o incise n a y db d square, with sides measurin inche5 g n lengthi s , drawn paralleo t l the lines forming the cross. In the centre of each of the four small squares thus formed oppositd an , e anglee cross eth smala th f s i so , l circular hollow about 1 inch in diameter, not unlike a shallow cup- mark. Dyce No. 2 of jig. 1.—The stone on which this cross is incised measures 2 feet 4 inches in height, 1 foot 5 inches in breadth, and 2| inches in thickness e cros arme equath e f Th ar s o s lengt.n i l ard ehan about inc1 h broad, though slightl crose th ys d ende wideitselan th s; t fa r measures 7 inches from top to bottom, and the same distance from sid o sideet . Acros e intersectioth s e armth f sno ther s carveei a d figure shaped somewhat lik squarea e , althoug s slightli t hi y longer thay one otherwa enth , bein inche2 g lengtn i s Id f han inche n i s breadth. The corners also are slightly rounded, as if formed by four circular hollows generan i t .unlik 1 no . Thus li e No 2 s . farNo , design, though it is far more carefully formed ; but, in addition, it is surrounde a circl y b de 9i inche n diameteri s , which passes «/ £• ' J_ through the centres of four smaller circles, each 4J inches in diameter. These small circles are placed opposite the angles made by the inter- section of the arms of the cross, in the same position as the hollows in No. 1. Dyce No. 3 of fig. 1.—This is the largest, the most simple, and perhaps the most modern of the Dyce crosses. The stone on which SOME OLD ABEEDEENSHIRE CROSSES. 335 incises i t i fee inche2 1 s d1 ti s high foo 1 inche, 0 1 t s broad 1d £ an inche, s thick. The cross is formed by an incised line about \ inch wide which form e outlin shafe e crossth sarmd th th t f an f teo bu so , e cros e end shafe t joineth foot e th f whicf no sTh th o o t t .e da har inche1 is1 horizontae s longth d an , l portion formin arme gth s measures

Fig. 1. Stones with incised Crosses at Dyce (Nos. 1, 2, 3).

9| inche endso t frod . mcros e en arme Botth th f sshafe so d h th an t are 2J inches wide. Dyce . 4.—ThiNo smala s i s l reddish-coloured sandstone inche2 1 , s high inche6 , s broad inche2 and s, thick. Upo inscribeis nit dcrosa sof peculiar form (fig. 2), 6 inches high and 4 inches wide. The carved lines of whic s formei t hi e abou ar d t J inch broa £d dincan h deept I . is like a patriarchal cross, having two pairs of arms, those at the top 336 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 13, 1911.

e shafoth f t bending slightly downwards secone Th . d pai places i r d a little above the middle of the shaft. .Each arm of the second pair

Fig. 2. Cross of peculiar form at Dyce (No. 4).

has a line about 2 inches long, pointing downwards at right angles to arme th f righe , o tha th d n t to en sid e eth being very faint lookingd an , SOME OLD ABERDEENSHIRE CROSSES. 337 beed ha n t i trimme f i s a d offaccideny b , otherwiser o t bottoe th t A m. shafe oth f figureo t thertw e se ar lik e eac n stepso he side on ,t the bu , y are carelessly drawn and are not very symmetrical. Near the angles formee loweth e shafy rdb th arm d t thersan foue ear r hollows, some- wha t mortbu simila, e3 deepl. thoso t rNo yn lowee e o cut e Th on r. lefe onth t sid elongateds ei almosd an , t joineextremite th o de t th f yo line which thabendn o t m sside ar downward e . th f o d s en fro e mth Just abov uppee arme th th e t sa rcrose otheparo th f stw o tr circular hollow placede sar , makin alln i .x gsi The whole figure is roughly carved, and, as the stone on which it is ver a t doe f t appeao ycu se no har b o rdt nature, perhap receives ha t si d damage while lying abouchurchyarde th n i t generan I . l appearance t figurunlike th no s anchon ei ea r turned upside down. All those four stones have been accidentally discovered at various e gravediggetimeth y sb rs bee whilha ne eh turnin g ovee r th soi n i l churchyard considerabla . r Thefo y yla e time looselbottoe th t ya m of the recess in the east gable in which the sculptured stones, already referre , werto d e protected t thebu , y have recently been built into the walls there, and are now safe from loss or destruction. It is fortunate, however, tha three th t e crosses show fign nweri 1 . e photo- graphed before they were built into the recess, for they are now in such a position that it would be very difficult to obtain satisfactory photographs of them.

T MEDAN'S S CHURCHYARD. On the opposite side of the river Don, within sight of the old churchyard of Dyce, but about half a mile further up the river, stand the ruins of the old church of St Medan. A church, dedicated to e sainth t whose nam t bearsi e , occupie e sit earln dth ei y Christian presene timesth d an t, building ivy-coverew no , rooflessd n i dan s wa , use till 1703 ,churc w whe erectes ne na hwa t Hattoda f Fintrayno , a more convenient e worshipperscentrth r efo . Ther traditioa s ei n VOL. XLV. 22 338 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 13, 1911.

e distric e th paris th n i f to h thae churcon t h communion cups wa s a silve f formeo r t imagou d t r e shrinMedano S heaeth f f o do e , which it was customary to carry round the parish in procession durin d seasonsba g thao e s weathe, th t r migh e rendereb t d more propitiou e farminth r sfo g community. Ther severae ear graved ol l - stones in the churchyard which surrounds the ancient "building, and • four of these are of the class described in this paper. They are placed r froe soute walfa th m th t n he ki churchyard no th sid f eo , between it and the ruined church, but much nearer to the walk than to the church. St Medan's-No. 1 (fig. 3).—The smallest one, a simple Latin cross, stands near the east end of this walk. It has been cut out of a slab of granite, smoothe sidee t rougother e e shafon e ,bu th th n f dn Th o ho to . inchecros8 1 s i sheight n s t i variei d an ,sinche 7 froo t widthmn s6 i , whil e portioeth n which rises abov arme inche3 eth s i s s e highTh . arms measure 12 inches in length from end to end, and they are 6 inches broad. The cross is about 2 inches thick, and has no lettering or carvin kiny an d f gupoo . nit t Medan's S 2 (fig . . No 4).—Abou fee6 t t further e westsamth n ei , • line, stands the second stone. It is a block of grey granite rising 3 feet above the ground, and is 1 foot 6 inches broad and from 6 to 7 inches thick. . The face of the stone has been smoothed, but the back, though trimmed, is still somewhat rough, and is convex from side to side.- On the upper portion of the face of the stone, towards the left side, is carved a sword, 1 foot 5 inches long and 4 inc'hes across at the broadest part, just belo handlee wth . Rather lowe rrigh e dowth n tno sid incises ei crosda s potent, measuring 12J inche sbottoo t fro p mto m and 12 inches from side to side. The cross pieces forming the T at inche4 e arm e e th end th ar f ss o s e carvelongTh . d lin s aboui e t •| inch deep. An unusual featur s thati e , whil e carvine sworth e th s f i do g raised above the surface of the stone, that of the cross is sunk below SOMABERDEENSHIRD OL E E CROSSES. 339

. it Both figures, however originae , pare seeon b f o mto t l designr fo , they are carved with equal care, and balance each other on the face

Fig . Crost 3 .Medan' S t sa s (No. 1) . e stoneoth f , whil ey othe thertraco an n f s rei o figure having been obliterated to make room for either of them. t Medan's S (fig3 . . 5).—ThNo e third stone liegroune sth flan o dt a few yards further to the west. It is a rough block of grey granite, partially smoothe e surfaceth n do , whic s slightlhi y convex from side 340 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 13, 1911.

to side, and it appears to nave been used as a flat stone covering over a grave t measureI . fee5 s inche9 t 'foos1 loninche6 d t gan s broad,

Fig. 4. Stone with Sword in relief and Cross incised, at St Medan's (No. 2). e outlinth d s somewhaei an t irregular inchen Te .s fro e westermth n stone oth r f incises uppeei o d ren dcircla inchee9 s across, havino gtw diametrical lines crossing each other at right angles. A kind of cross enclosed within a circle is thus formed. At the points where the diame- SOMABERDEENSHIED OL E E CBOSSES. 341

ters meet the circumference of the circle are drawn figures, cone- shaped, wite sideth h s slightly convex, measuring 2| inchen i s length. A little below this figure, towards the left side of the stone, there is a rectangl inche0 1 e s long an inche6 d s broad, wit a linh e drawn down the middle from end to end, and two lines crossing it from side sideo beine t on , incheg4 s fro e uppemth r end e othe,th inche3 r s

N**i4i,fr%i';: * •"; ^ ' '^::'^*^~,,^.. . f- < ,:;>-.

Fig. 5. Recumbent Slab with Symbols at St Medan's (No. 3).

froe lowemth r end e figurTh .s thui e s divided into six- smaller rectangles, four of them being squares of 3 inches along the side, the othe measurino tw r incheg4 s inche3 lon y gb se righ broadth o t T . e rectangloth f s carveei dpaia f shearso r , somewhat like those used in sheep-shearing, 10 inches long and 4 inches broad at the widest part. Below thes o symboltw e s ther s anotheei r circular figure, formed stonee th t slightl f uppebu e o , th d t yen ra largers e i t on I like . eth 11 inche diametern si cuspe th d s whican , h stan t fro circume dou m th - diametere ferencende th f th inche 3 o st a ee illuse sar s th long -n I . tration (fig. 5) this figure does not appear quite circular, but this is 2 34 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 191113 H .

owing to the foreshortening caused by its being carved on a slightly hollowe dstonee parth f o t. s doubtfui t I l circulao whethetw e rth r figure thin o ss stone ar e intended for crosses or for emblems. If the rectangle represents a bale of wool (which is also open to doubt), then it and the shears would seem to indicate the burial-place of someone connected with the wool- mill whic existes immediate hha th n di e neighbourhoo churche th f do - lona yar r g dfo s quit i time t I e . possible, therefore, thae otheth t r

Kg. 6. Recumbent Grave-slab with Sword and Crosses at St Medan's (No. 4).

figures may also be intended to represent something associated with woollee th n trade, though than i , t case havI , e been unabl ascertaio et n for what they stand. t Medan'sS (fig4 . . 6).—ThNo e fourth ston s alsei oflaa t one, appar- ently usea grav s da e e surfaccover th groune lied n th o sf an , e o da few yards furthe coarse-grainef o s i r t wesI . t 3 tha . d ngranitNo d ean has a very rough surface, on which the designs do not show to advan- stone tageTh e. itselfee3 inche6 s ti f sfoo1 loninched 3 t gan t a s its greatest breadth, near the middle, whence it tapers slightly to each SOMABERDEENSHIRD OL E E CROSSES. 343

end. In the centre, along its length, is incised a sword, 1 foot 6 inches long, wit hreversea d guard measurin incheg7 s acros sendo t fro d .men The blade, in addition to the lines forming its edges, has a third line down its centre. Near each end of the stone is incised a cross potent,, beloe e sworon e poin wth e th f th o dt bein incheg7 breadtn i s d an h the same in length, with cross-pieces 2f inches long at the ends of the uppearmse Th r. portio crosse th f no , however, extends about J inch beyond the cross line, forming a crosslet at this point. The cross at stone th f slightls euppee i o th d en ry lowee smalleth t ra e r thaon e nth end, being only 6 inches in length and breadth, with cross-pieces 2J inches long. The carvin thif go s cros somewhas si t fain indistinctd an t , probably owins havinit o gt g suffered from long exposur weathere th e o et Th . designs on this stone are similar to those on No. 2, two crosses taking the place of one, but the symbols are much more roughly executed, an l thre dal incisede ear .

INVERURIE.

The churchyard of Inverurie lies at the foot of the Bass, about 16 miles from Aberdeen d fullan , y hal a milf e sout f Inverurio h e railway station e parisTh . h churc a smalh— l heather-thatched building—formerly stood nea e north-westh r t cornee churchth f o r - yard, but it was removed in 1775, and no traces of this ancient building now remain above ground, although, while grave beine neasar g gdu r sites it , portion foundatione th f so stile ar sl sometimes unearthed. Like the churchyard of Dyce, that of Inverurie has also its comple- ment of sculptured stones, there being four, two whole and two broken, standing near eac churchyard h e junctiool othe th e t th a r f no d with the new cemetery. It has also two small crosses. Inverurie Nos. (fig2 d . 7).—Than I e smalle f thes o ro crossetw e s lais nha from time immemorial abou churchyarde th t s originait d an , l 344 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 191113 H .

position is therefore not now known. The larger one was found many years ago when a grave was being dug in the burial-place belonging to the Johnstons. of Brandsbutt, and is now placed at the head of their ground, within the iron railing which surrounds it. Both of the crosses have been formed on the same plan. In each case the block of granite has been trimmed into a circular form with rounded edges,

Mg. 7. Crosses at Inverurie Churchyard (Nos. 1 and 2). . witd an hprojectina g triangular portio fooe th tt nfoa r fixin intt gi e oth ground. The crosses are of the equal-armed pattern, and are incised stonee onth botn o s h sides thao s , t each stone bears practicallo ytw

crosses, one:on the front and one on the back, the lines of both running into each other round the edges. There is therefore no difference appearancn i e betwee stonese bace th th f fron e ko d n th . an t The smaller ston 10s ei J inches high, 9J inches broad 3d ^ an ,inche s SOMABERDEENSHIRD OL E E CROSSES. 345

thickcarvine e crosTh th .f sgo is sundepta o kt f ho inc h botn ho f inc s i h fronstonee edget e backi d dee th th t an f tt so pbu ,a , where e patterth n turns round from fron o backe pointet t Th . d portion at the foot of the cross has been almost completely broken off, only a small portion remaining, sufficient to show that it had once existed. The larger cross is complete, the circular portion being 12 inches in diameter, while the triangular portion at the bottom is 6 inches broad and 4-|- inches deep, making the stone altogether 16J inches high. It is 5 inches in thickness. The carving of the cross is sunk to a depth of -| inc fron n backhd o an t , edgese whilth t ea , where bac frond kan t designs meet, it is about 1 inch deep. As has already been mentioned, this larger cross was found in the burial-plac Johnstone th f eo Brandsbuttf so north-wese fara th , n mo t bordee burgth f f Inverurieho o r interestins i t I . o knogt w than o t this farm once stoo dstona e circle ,e sit closf whice th o e th o e t s hi Brandsbutt Stone, with the " Serpent" and the " Crescent and Sceptre " symbols, and an ogham inscription, described and figured in Early Christian Monuments of Scotland, p. 506. A small cross, somewhat similar in appearance to these Inverurie examples, is said to have stood in the old churchyard of Logie Elphin- stone, but it has now disappeared; and though the churchyard has been several times examined, no trace of it can be found. Inverurie No. 3 (fig. 8).—Built into the northern wall of the hall belongint AnthonS e th o ygt Lodg Freemasonsf eo Hige th hn i , Street of Inverurie, is a stone with an incised cross on its face: The stone is elliptical in shape, 19 inches high and 16 inches broad ; and these dimensions also represent e crossthos th e armf eth o , f whicso h reach regulao dee o s stonee s edgee e carvin r t th po th Th f no ro so .t s gi as that on Nos. 1 and 2, so that the cross does not present so striking appearancn a churchyarde thoss ea th n ei . originas it Th n i e t stonl no positionbuils s ei wa t t int I wale .o th l 346 PROCEEDINGS OP THE SOCIETY, MARCH 13, 1911.

when the hall was erected in 1881, whither it had been removed from housd ol n ea which formerly stood nea southere rth Inverurief o d nen , where Cunning Hill Road meets the High Street. This building had been used for some time as a Dissenting chapel, and subsequently as a meeting-plac e locath r l fo eFreemasons ' lodge. Afterwardt i s

. Cros8 . t Freemasonssa Kg ' Hall, Inverurie (No. .3)

fell into decay ; and when the Freemasons' hall at present in use was in course of erection, the proprietor, Mr Bruce, kindly gave the Free- masons permissio removo nt builo stonee t eth d t intdi an , o theiw ne r buildin d mementhala ol s la e th whicn g i f oo h their predecessord sha lon meto gag . Whethe crose beed th r sha n carvepurpose th r dfo f eo being placed in the old chapel, or whether it had been removed from a still older building, cannot be ascertained. SOMABEEDEBNSHIED OL E 7 34 E CROSSES.

MONYMUSK. Ther s beeha e a nChristia n communit t Monymusa y k from very early timesCuldeee Th saie . o havsar dt therd ha e a statioe n from which missionaries carried the gospel to surrounding districts. The famous reliquary, the " Brechbannoch," still preserved at Monymusk House doubtless i , relisa thosf co e days. Afterward priorsa y tooe kth earliee placth f eo r foundation thid tursucceeden s an i , nwa e th y db parish church n thesI . e circumstance woule on s d naturally expect that the Monymusk churchyard would contain a number of those early Christian monuments whose symbols have so puzzled the most diligent investigators. Only one exists in the locality, however, and it is not in the churchyard. It used to lie near the roadside at the far Nethef mo safelw r no Mains ys i preserve t bu , t Monymusda k House. Monymusk (fig1 . . 9).—TherNo , howevereis smala , le crosth n i s churchyard, not far from the gate leading through the boundary wall into the manse garden. Owing to its small size and slight eleva- tion above ground this cros s rathei s y r ma difficul e on findo t t t bu , reacsteppiny b t hi g sixteen paces eastward alonwalle side th gf th ,e o beginnin e gardeth t ga n gate thed pacen an ,nte t righa s t angleo t s walle th . This will brin searchee gth crosse fronn ri th f o .t The stone, on the face of which the cross is cut, is firmly fixed in the ground, above which it stands to a height of 9 inches. Its breadth s thicknesinche1 it 1 d s i an e sequal th inches4 s f e croso - Th s i s. armed form, and measures 6 inches from top to bottom, and the same distance from side to side. The incisions which form the cross are | inch wide, but the arms expand at the ends, each to a width of 1 inch. This cross, therefore, is not unlike the central portion of the cross with circles round it at Dyce (No. 2), but it lacks the incision at the intersectio e armth f sno which occure Dycth n eso example (cf. fig. .1) Monymusk No. 2 (fig. 10).—On the pavement below the tower of Monymusk church, and to the right of the outside of the doorway opening

SOMABERDEENSHIRD OL E 9 34 E CROSSES.

into the church, there is a small cross incised within a circle. The diamete circle lengtinchese th 9 arme f th s ero th i d f hso an ,correspond s therewith, since they terminate at the circumference of the circle. crose Th s correspond forn si m wit e uppehth r portio thaf no t carved upon the cup-marked stone at Tofthills, figured in last year's Proceedings (p s neithe. ha 212 outen t i a a shaf rt r , rfig bu no s t circle , i .4) t I . also lik figuree flae eth th t n ston t Medan'o sS n ei s churchyard (No, 3) . t lacki cuspt e sth bu s outsid circlee eth . t seemI s unlikely that thi originas it ston n i s ei l position. Probably some workman found it lying uncared for about the church or churchyard, and utilised it as a paving stone when the pavement was being laid down. LOGIE COLDSTONE. e churchyarth n I f Logido c Coldstone ther smala s ei l early Celtic cross formed by sinking an oval background on a stone 1 foot 10 inches high inche1 1 , s wide 3d J an ,inche s thickcrose Th s thusi . s lefn i t low relief (fig. 11). n engravinA f thio g s lase EarlyTh t f croso 6 s 19 appear . p n o s Christian Monuments of Scotland ; and on the same page there is drawina e crosth f sgo surrounde circley db s whic churche h th lie n si - yar f Dycdo e. Wit(Dyc2) . heNo these exception e crosseth s d an s stones mentioned above are here described and figured for the first time. NOTE O NCROSA T TULLIGHA S . Leaning against the outside of the north wall of the ruined pre- Reformation churc f Tullichho , near Ballater, whic s saihi havo dt e been founde t NathalanS y db well-knowa s i , n collectio sculpturef no d stones. One of these is a symbol stone, bearing on its face the " Double Disc, "e Elephant,"th "e Mirroth d an "r " symbols othere th ;e sar stones having crosses of various sizes and shapes engraved upon them. It is to the central one of the group standing within the old doorway that I wish to draw attention (see fig. 12). 350 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MAEC , 191113 H .

The cross upon it is not unlike the small one at Logie Coldstone, thoug mucs i t hi h large awarem sizea n i rI ,s . a attentio r Butfa o ,s n t habeeno s n e peculiadrawth o t n rs e basecrosit for Th f mo s.

-^"lH« fs^fij^aiw^1^''

Fig. 11. Stone with Celtic Cross in relief within a sunk oval at Logie Coldstone. appears to rise.from a heart-shaped figure, a portion of one side of which, however, has been broken away, owing to part of the stone having been damaged. This heart-shaped base would seem not to be a mere accidental mark on the surface of the stone, for although

352 PROCEEDINGS OP THE SOCIETY, MARCH 13, 1911.

no known cross exist Aberdeenshirn si e wit hsimilaa r base t sucye ,n ha one occure churchyarth n si Kirkmadrinef do Wigtownshiren ,i , where heart-shapea leaf-shaper do d bas clearls ei ydesige parth f o tn (fig. 13). This ston preserves ei e right-hanth t da de nich th sid whicf n ei eo h

Fig. Cros13 . s with peculiar bas t Kirkmadrineea . famoue th s Kirkmadrine sculptured stone placede e outsidsar th n i , e e gabloth f f Kirkmadrineo e chapel, whic s restore yearhwa w fe sda r MarSi agky ob Stewar f Ardwello t . This Kirkmadrine cross, like t Dycea foue s ha on ,r e smalth l circles opposit intersectioe eth n angles, thoug t connecteh no the e ylargea ar y db r circle surroundin crose gth s asDyceat . NOTES ON THE CHUKCH OF SAINT MAELRUBHA IN ABISAIG. 353

This cross has not been described or figured either in Dr Stuart's Sculptured Stones of Scotland or in the more recently published Early Christian Monuments of Scotland, notwithstanding that another small cross of peculiar form, on the left side of the niche, has been figure botn di thesf ho e works.