VI. NOTE SCOTTISN O S H INCISED SLABS (III). . GREENHILLA . BF Y , M.A.(OxoN.), F.S.A.Scox. Read January 1948.12, ) ABERDALGIE(A , .

r WilliamSi Olifaunt, 1330 (fig. .1) (Slab engraved later, c. 1365.) This wreck of a once magnificent example of Franco-Flemish craftsman- ship lay originally at the north-east corner of the pre-Beformation parish church whic s pullehwa d dow 177n i 3 whe s erectee presennth wa e don t abou yardsouth-weste 0 t9 th o st . Fro opeme th 177nn i church 1783y o t la 0t i - yard expose lattee weathere th th n ri d o yeat t bu ,r some attemp mads twa e o protec t puttiny b t i t g ove t i another r slab supporte x 12-incsi n o dh pillars. This, unfortunately, provedf o quit d een inadequatee th y b d an , last century most of the engraving had weathered away. Sketches of the slab were taken about 1895 by Macgibbon and Ross and by Robert Brydall, F.S.A.Scot. e expecteb e circumstanceso th t s n di , wa but s a , , neithe f thess altogetheo r wa e r complete n theiI . r written descriptions both authors drew attention to the deplorable condition of the monu- t lonno ment gd afterwardsan , s brough1904n i , wa t i , t inte churcoth h placed an d upo nplatfora m unde modera r n sepulchra easle arcth t t ha soute th en f e samhdo th wall t e A tim. esmala l bras affixes e th s wa o t d wall of the recess; it bears the Oliphant arms, with this inscription: 100 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1946-48.

THIS MONUMENT MEMORE TOTH F YO SIR WILLIAM OLIPHANT OF ABERDALGIE THE HEROIC DEFENDER OF A.D. 1304 WAS REMOVED FRO E SITF MTH O E CHURCD OL E ABERDALGIF HO TH E AND PLACED HERE BY MAJOR-GENERAL LAWRENCE J. OLIPHANT, C.V.O., C.B., OF CONDIE A.D. 1904. SIR WILLIAM OLIPHANT DIED 1329.

In the following year a high tomb was erected in the churchyard by the Count slap churchd to b ol e e ybear e th Th Counci th e sit.n si f th eo n o l centre the Oliphant arms carved in low relief, and round the edge an incised inscription in Roman lettering: HlC JACET DOMINUS WlLLIELMUS OLIFAUNT DOMINUS | DE ABERDAGY QUI OBHT | QUINTO DIE MENSIS FEBRUARII MlLL CCC VISCESIMO (sic) NONO | ORATE PRO ANIMA EJUS. while on the south side is another inscription, also in Roman characters: HERE OVER THE BURIAL VAULT OF THE LORDS OLIPHANT LAY SINCE 1780 THE MEMORIAL ERECTED IN THE OLD CHURCH OF ABERDALGIE TO THE MEMORY OF SlR WlLLIAM OLIPHANT OF ABERDALGIE WHOSE BRAVE DEFENCE OF STIRLING CASTLE WHEN BESIEGED BY EDWARD I OF ENGLAND IN 1304 FORMS ONE OF THE MOST STIRRING AND IMPORTANT EVENTS OF SCOTTISH HISTORY RENEWED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF PERTHSHIRE 1905. The slab, of bluish-grey Tournai stone, 8 feet 3 inches by 4 feet 2 inches, was originally engraved with the effigy of a man in armour under a handsome canopy with weeper e sidth e n i sshafts shieldo tw , f armso s , and black-letter marginal inscription with evangelistic symbols at the corners. All that now remains is part of the figure and canopy, one shield, fragmentw fe a lettersf o evangelistise pard on f an ,o t c symbo t Luke),(S l 1 surface sucn i th s perisheha d ewa an d condition whe nI too k this rubbing in September 1936 that extreme caution and a most delicate touch were neede avoio dt d injuring wha stils i t engravinge lth leff o t .

1 Wrongly given as St Mark by Macglbbon and Ross, Ecclesiastical Architecture of , vol. ii. p. 553. NOTE SCOTTISN O S H INCISED SLABS (III). 101

' * •^y^y ,f•.'•-•••Sys.*-vx•' »-

•f'^ft'-Tfti'lMyfcv>ta?i$|; •; //*'L>fc&.''V'&?! •*w*Asis£v>-& •:^1^!i('1^;S?- ^^^^'I'-t- •: •••vi:, .,^y;:v«.-5^;i

Fig. 1. Sir William Olifaunt, 1330. (Slab engraved circa 1365.) Aberdalgie, Perthshire. 102 PROCEEDING S E SOCIETYOTH F , 1946-48.

The background has been recessed, leaving figure and accessories standin flan i tt reliefgou , givin effecn ga t somewhat simila thaa o t rf o t monumental brass, but the edges of the effigy, instead of being cut off almost at right angles as in the rest of the design, are bevelled down. The detail photographs (PI. XIII, 1 and 2), for the use of which I am indebted to Mr Stewart H. Cruden, F.S. A.Scot., will demonstrate the successive stages by whic wore probabls hth kwa y carried out: first outlinee th desige , th f so n would be incised on the flat slab; the background would then be hollowed out, and finally the details of the design filled in and the edges of the effigy rounded similaoffA . r treatmen e observe b otheo y tw rn ma tdo foreig n slabs of the fourteenth century; one, at Nossendorf (Gherard de Lynden. priest, 1364), is illustrated on page 194 of Dr Wilhelm Liibke's Ecclesiastical Art in Germany (Edin. 1876). The other, in the abbey of St Bavon, Ghent, bears the effigy of a civilian placed beneath a canopy; PI. XIII, 3, which shows par thif o t s slab fros i , mphotograpa h kindl Jamer y M len . y sS b t Richardson, LL.D., F.S.A.Scot., Inspector of Ancient Monuments. e marginaOth f l inscriptio nfragmentw onlfe a y f lettero s s (now undecipherable) survive, but most of it has fortunately been preserved in a Gask MS. of 1719: "Dominus Willielmus Olifaunt Dominus de Aberdalgie qui obiit quinto die mensis Februarii anno Domini Mill. CCC vicesimo nono "

and this has been more or less reproduced in the modern inscriptio1 n in the churchyard. As in the fourteenth century the year in Britain ended on 24th March, instead of (as nowadays) the previous 31st December, the date of death falls by modern computation within the year 1330. The knight is depicted in armour of mixed mail and plate; pointed bascinet with camail; hawberk of mail, all concealed save bottom portion d insidean f sleeveo s uppen o s r arms; studded jupon, rather shorts it , lower edge hidden under the broad hip-belt or bawdric; and plate defences e limbsfoth r , comprising epauliere f threo s e overlapping e plateth n o s shoulders, articulated coudeelbowse th t sa , rerebraces (secure strapsy db ) protecting outsides of upper arms, vambraces on the forearms, cuisses and jambarts covering thighs and legs, with genouilleres at the knees and sollerets of five overlapping plates on the feet. The sword, with orna- mented pommel, plain grislightld pan y curved quillons suspendes i , d from lefe th t hip, passing behinrighe th lege tn d th o sid ; e hang misericordee sth . Rowel spur wornhande e sar Th completele .sar y efface feete th ,; d which, imping bottoe th n emo margin, rest upo dogo ntw s addorsed. Fro e armine mfigure th s evidenth i f t i go , t that this slab coult dno have been engraved until thirty afteyear o knight'e s r th rso s deathe Th . 1 Joseph Andersen OlipJiantse Th , Scotlandn i (Edin. 1879), Introduction . xxip , , note.

NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (III). 103 armour he must have worn throughout his lifetime, apart from the large pot helm comparatively seldom shown on monuments, was mail, either completminoo tw r r o r wit reinforcementeo e hon leathef so plater o r d an , the long linen surcoat, as portrayed on the sculptured effigies of "the Good" Sir James Douglas (1330 t Bride'S n i ) s Kirk, Douglas, Lanarkshirea d an , knighe Menteitth f o t h family f abouo , e samth t e date t Inchmahoma , e Priory, Perthshire e harnesTh . s depictee slath b n o onld y came into use shortly before 1360 I hav .t see eexamplno n na studdee th f eo d jupon later e figurtha th . 1370 nc d e an bear, a decides d resemblanc thao et f o t Sir Miles Stapleton (1364) on his brass (now lost) at Ingham, Norfolk.

archee Acanope sth th f so y also bea distincra t likenes thoso st anothen eo r 1 yeae brasth rf so 136 4 (Robert Braunche t Margaret'sS t a , , King's Lynn, Norfolk), this slab can confidently be dated c. 1365. It was probably ordered by Sir William's son, Sir Walter Olifaunt, who last appears in 1378. The canop f threo s yi e arches, cuspe d crocketeddan , wit ha panelle d arcade above. Each of the side shafts contains three canopied niches in which are placed small figures known as "weepers "; one of these is missing, while of the remainder one only is entire, the other four surviving in a somewhat fragmentary conditioncivilian i e ar nl al dress: : (1) UPPER DEXTER.—Man in curious cap, wearing cloak fastened from nec middlo kt breastf eo , beneath which s openi t i , revealing what e aseemb o t s tunic; lower part effaced. (2) MIDDLE DEXTER.—Man, apparently wearing some for f capmo , ankle-length tunic and long pointed shoes. (3) LOWER DEXTER.—Man, all lost but head, on which is a close- coifr fittino p . gca (4) UPPER SINISTER.—Man, arms akimbo, attired in short close-fitting tunic belted roun e loinsdth , long hosd an e pointed shoes; on his head a queer cap with small button-like ornament on top. (5) MIDDLE SINISTER.—Eigur lostw t Brydall'no bu e, s sketch,2 taken c. 1895, show e loweth s r par f whas o t wa t apparentl yciviliaa lonn i g tunic. (6) LOWER SINISTER.—Man, lower part only now left, in long tunic and long pointed shoes. To siniste heae shiela th s df i r o d bearing Oliphant (Gu) crescents3 (arg.); the dexter one has now disappeared, though part of the outline is given in Macgibbo Ross'd nan s drawing.3

1 111. Ootman, Sepulchral Brasses in Norfolk (London, 1838), pi. iv., and Stothard, Monumental Effigies of Great Britain (London, 1876), pi. Ixviii. 111. Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot., vol. xxix. p. 362. , 2• Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, . 652volp . .ii 104 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1946-48.

The sla s foreigbi n work doubthero d n an ,s ei t that membere th f o s wealthier classe mediaevan si l Scotland habie werth orderinf n o tei g their monuments from abroad: all the slabs I have seen in this country bearing indent brassef sTournaf o o e sar i stone, while incised slab foreigf so n make still survive at Rossie, Perthshire, St Andrews Cathedral, Fife, and Kelso Abbey, Roxburghshire, and we know from, the Halyburton Ledger that

Archbishop Scheve t AndrewsS f zo dieo s monumen hi 1497n dwh 1 i , d ha , t prepared at Bruges, in which city the "throwcht" of his successor in the primacy, James Stewart, Duk Rossf eo alss owa , made.

t wilI notee b l d tha modere th t n inscription churce th churchd n si h an - 2 yard identify the Sir William of the monument, who died in 1330, with e famouth s defende f Stirlino r g Castle greath n tei sieg f 1304o e . There was, however, anothe r William—SiSi r r William Olifaun f Dupplino t , probabl ya e cousiConstabl th f o n f Stirlino e d contemporarg an 3 y with him actee h ; s second-in-commanda f Stirlindo g Castle durin e siegegth , and up to that time was closely associated with his more renowned kinsman. Thereafter there is record of both till 1313, after which only one can be traced, and it is impossible to be certain whether this was the Constable or the knight of Dupplin. They first appear togethe n 1296i r s alread, wa whe e ya knighton n , e othe th esquiren a rforme e evidentls Th f som.o wa r n e they yma b na standing, for a document executed in 1294 by Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, forbidding the principal men of the Lennox to hold intercourse with certain excommunicated persons, expressly mentions Sir William Olifard, knight (presumabl same yth e thosf person)o e whoo et on e s m,a th

inhibitio 4 addressed,s ni aboud an same th t e tim witnessee eh d chartery sb

the Earls of Atholl5 6 and Lennox.7 In the disastrous action at Dunbar (27th April 1296) both were captured and sent prisoner to English castles, the knight to Devizes, the squire

Rochester,o t 9 where they remained tilfollowine lth g year, when they were8 liberated, the squire on 18th August, the knight on 8th September,10 on condition of serving in the English expedition then preparing against France. In fulfilment of this engagement they passed overseas, embarking at Sandwich, but nothing seems to be known of their doings in Flanders,

Kelse Oth f o slab onl yfragmena remainsw no t . Ledger, pp. 7 and 215. e officiath n I l recorsurrendee th f do Stirlinf o r g Castle (see Bymer, Fosdera (1727) ,. 951 volp . )ii . Sir William Olifaunt of Dupplin is described as " consanguineus " of the Constable. As the name was written prior to about 1310. Keg. de Passelet, p. 203.* Hist. MSS. Commission Report, r WilliaSi s (a m vol0 Olifard.69 vi . p . , knight). Cartularium Comitatus de Levenax, pp. 41, 46 and 81 (as William Olifard, knight), and p. 87 (as William Olifard). Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, vol. ii. p. 176. Ibid., pp. 177-8. 10 Documents Illustrative History e oth f of Scotland, 1286-1306 d 259 an (1870) .7 25 . , volpp . ii . NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (III). 105 though they were doubtless among the Scots who, with Atholl and Comyn, escaped to the French at the time of Edward's hurried return to England early in 1298, for when towards the end of 1299 the small English force in Stirling Castle was starved out and surrendered to Sir John de Soulis, one of the regents, the fortress was committed to the keeping of Sir William Olifaunt. Edward's invasions of 1300 and 1301 did not penetrate to central Scotland, but in 1303 he overran the country as far as the Moray Firth, leaving Stirlin deale b o tgt wit t leisureha earld an ,1304n yi , after dis- persin e lasgth t remnant e Scottisth f o s h field forces under Comyn near Stirling Bridge, prepared to besiege the one stronghold that still defied his authority. Olifaunt, realising the hopelessness of resistance, felt bound nevertheless by his oath to the regent (then in France) not to surrender without the latter's consent. He therefore asked for time to refer to Franc instructionsr efo , undertakin deliveo e castlgt th p eu r immediately on e receipnecessarth f o t y orders fro e Soulismd . Edward promptly rejected the proposal. "If he will not surrender the castle," he cried, "let him keep it against us at his peril." The defence of Stirling Castle from 22nd April to 13th July 1304 with only 140 men against an army directed by Edward in person stands out as the most heroic episode of the Wars of Independence, and established the Constable' e leadinth f o gse soldierfam on s time s hi a e f .o s Seldom have enemies paid more glowing tribute A knigh" . t right vigoroud an s prudent, exclaim" s Trivet; while Matthew of Westminster calls him "a

doughty 1 knight chosea , amonn nma g thousands." Edward himselfo wh ,

ot leasna occasiono tw t s durin e sieggth e narrowly escape2 d wit s lifehhi , said that Olifaunt and his men fought "like mad dogs." His little band reduced by famine, the walls battered to pieces by Edward's siege engines, Olifaunt lasa s t compellewa t surrendeo t d - un r conditionally. His life and those of his followers were spared, but the officers were all removed to English prisons. Sir William was lodged in Towere th , where fellow-captives Wallachi e soos b eo wa nt s secondHi . - in-command, Sir William. Olifaunt of Dupplin—evidently the squire of 1296 who had received knighthood during the interval—was consigned to Wallingford Castle. The Constabl f Stirlineo g remaine e Toweth nearlr n di fo r y four years, but on 24th May 1308 he was released on surety 3 and went to Scotland in the English interest. In November 1309 he was once more at Stirling, an f 131o d 1d toward en succeede e th s e Englishmath d r JohnSi n Fitz- Marmaduk Wardes ea Perthf no .

1 "Militem admodum stremram et cordatum." 2 "Animoso mllite, elect mUlibus.e od "

Rymer, Ffx.de.ta (1818 edn.). 45 ,. volp . .ii 3 106 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1946-48. It is disappointing to find so sturdy a patriot entering the service of England, even though- there were veramonw y fe prominene gth t Scottish leaders who did not change sides at any rate once during the long struggle. But powerful reasons were not lacking. The judicial murder of Wallace, perpetrated while Olifaunt lay in the Tower, may have convinced him, however sorely agains s willhi t , thae causth tf independenco e s wa e finally lost. For Bruce, who had furnished siege engines to Edward o helt p batter dow e walln th f Stirlin o s g Castl s bravhi ed e whilan e eh handful were starving withinhardln ca e yh , have felt anythin t hatregbu d and contempt. Prior to the murder of Comyn, he probably detested him as a "collaborator," and that ill-starred act may well have served to inflame mak d s animosityan hi e e murderey beed tr th lase ha r o n th t t n fo , dma headway agains foughd t Edwarha whil n e field o tth an despara n di f ko hope remained, while Bruce's conduc thao t p t u t tim beend eha t best a , , equivocal. When after the murder Bruce rose in revolt and had himself crowned, Olifaunt, like many others, probably saw in. it only the mad gamble of an adventurer, for few could then have foreseen the amazing development that in a few brief years was to transform a selfish time- server int a onationa wheo ls hero.n Novembed i n An 1 r 1312 Bruce (accordin usualle th o gt y received account t dowsa ) n wit arms hhi y before Perth, he encountered such a stubborn defence by Olifaunt and his mixed garriso f Englisno Scotd han s that afte weekx si r foune h s t expediendi t d resor o an dra t o stratagemf t tw of . Having conceale s a forc hi dt a e distance until Olifaunt, finding no trace of the enemy, began to relax his vigilance, he returned secretly after an absence of eight days, and in a brilliant night attack on 8th January 1313 took the defenders by surprise and carried the town. All the Scots leaders in the garrison were put to death save Olifaunt, who, according to the Lanercost Chronicle, was "bound send Isles.e awar an th tfa o yt " 2 It is at this point that all certainty regarding Sir William Olifaunt, Constable of Stirling Castle and later English Warden of Perth, comes to endn a . There was undoubtedly a Sir William Olifaunt in England on 10th March 1313,3 withi weekcapture w strengte th fe f nth sa o Perthn f eo o hd ,an of this Joseph Bain, in the Introduction to Volume III, Calendar of Docu- ments Relating to Scotland (pp. xvii and xviii), and Mrs Maxtone Graham, in her book on the Oliphants of Gask (p. 30), throw doubt on the Lanercost story. conscienct whild ba Bu .ea havy eema prompted Bruc sparo et e eth her Stirlingf oo inconceivabls i t i , e tha shoule h t d permi dangerouo s t n sa adversary to depart out of his power, and it seems that the Sir William It is perhaps significant that several of his former officers in the Staling garrison (though not the knigh1 t of Dupplin) returned with Olifaunt to Scotland in the English service. 2 The Chronicle of Lanercost (trans. Sir Herbert Maxwell) (Glasgow, 1013), p. 202. 3 Exchequer D.R. Miscellanea, fo. 28. NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (III). 107

who was in England at that time could only have been the knight of Dupplin. We know that he was in prison at Wallingford till February 1307 at least, and it looks as though he had so far remained in England. presumabls wa e H e "Williayth m Olyfaunt h Jun,5t eknight,n o o wh " 1309 granted a bond to Sir Hugh le Despenser, pere, for 100 shillings, to be paid at the latter's hostel in London "at the quinzaine of St John next." 1 On 21st October 1313 he received a safe-conduct to go to Scotland and return again.2 Whethe fulfillee h r s termit d r broko s e the stayiny mb g in his own country we have no means of knowing. All that is certain thereafter is that a Sir William. Olifaunt—either the Constable or the knight of Dupplin—appears in record from 1315 onwards as one of the Bruce's main supporters Februarn I . thaf yo t yea witnessee rh dchartea Kinf ro g Robert to Sir Andrew Gray. Five years later, as one of the greater barons, presens Parliamene hewa th t a t Arbroathf o t seals hi ,d containinan , e gth first known portrayal of the family arms, is among those affixed to the celebrated Letter to the Pope of 6th April 1320. On 8th March 1327 he attended the Parliament held at Holyrood, and on 16th January 1330, at Newbattle, rendere n accoun a ds receipt hi f o ts King' a s s Escheator fo r Perthshire.3 On the following 5th February he died, outliving King Robert by exactly eight months receivee H . d fro e Crowmth t variouna s times grant f lando s n Angusi s , Ayrshir Walten d Perthshireso an es rhi d an , wedded the King's daughter, Elizabeth Bruce. This is the Sir William monumente oth f . To the question '' Which of the two was he ? " there appears to be no final answer. Joseph Anderson * assumes that he was the Constable, though without statin s ground g hi doingo Maxton s s r Mr sfo . e Graham 5 likewise identifie wit m Constablee hi shth , perhaps through mixine th p gu latter n Englanwit i e othes th hr Willia wa Si rn Marc i do mwh h 1313. Their attribution was evidently accepted by those responsible for the moder ne churc th inscription churchyardd n i han p u t r Maitlanse sD . d Thomson, however, while admitting tha e mattet entirelth tno s i r y free from doubt, adopt opposite sth e view. Speakin Constable'e th f go s banish- Islese men th sayse h o ,t t : "Probabl diee yh d ther captivityn ei l al t a ; event e appearh s moro n s n record.i e e als"H o 6 point t thae ou sth t appearanc e Constablth f eo e Lennoe th amon f o 129n e xchiei n gth 4me f would see mindicato t earls ehi y marriage wit hlada thaf yo t region, while Aberdalgi ee Olifauntcamth o t e s through matrimony wit a hWishart .

1 Catalogue of Ancient Deeds in the Public Record Office, vol. iv., A6310. 2 Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland, vol. iii., No. 339. 3 Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, vol. 247p . .i . Oliphantse Th 1 Scotland,n i Introduction . xvii xviiid pp , an . . 6 The Oliphants of Gask, pp. 30-31. She does, however, in a footnote to p. 30, refer to Dr Maitland Thomson's contrary view. 6 The Scots Peerage, vol. vi. p. 532. 8 10 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1946-48.

On these grounds, apparently, he identifies the Sir William of the monument wit knighe hth Dupplinf o t . pointe th Ao st s Thomsonr madD y eb : (1) It is true that we have no certain record of the Constable's career after his banishment to the Isles, but we are left equally uncertain as to what became of the knight of Dupplin after he got his safe-conduct in October 1313. Ther coursef o , eis , nothing improbabl Thomson'r D n ei s assumption tha lattee th t r violate terms d it remaine d san Scotlandn di thers i t e Bu . any greater improbability in assuming that the Constable would be likely mako t earln ea y returnationae th o nt l party? Bruc sureld eha y every incentive to win over so potentially valuable a supporter, while the Constable everythind ha los o gt longey eb r adherenc Englise th o et h sidecould an , d now without loss of honour seek a reconciliation with his old enemy. (2) The Constable's presumed marriage with a lady of the Lennox prior 129o t 4 -woul appeat dno negativo rt possibilite eth y thalatea t ta r perioe dh became lair Aberdalgief do . Accordin Scalacronica,e th o gt stills n wa i , e h 1 1304, "un iouen bacheler Descoce younga ( " Scottishe th knight) f i d an , 2 Lennox lady predeceased him normawoule e ,h th n di l cours likele eb o yt marry again. According to the Midlothian escheats of 1337,3 Walter Olifaunt was then still a minor, which goes to suggest that whichever of the two Sir Williams it was who married the Wishart heiress wedded her fairly late in life. The lands of Aberdalgie were certainly held about 1300 by one William Wycharde,4 and in 1330 by the Olifaunts, but I can find no record of the dat t whicea lattee hth r acquired them, thoug t hseemi s unlikely that this would be earlier than about 1315. worts i t I h noting tha inscriptioe tth n formerl slae th b n describeyo s dit subject simply as laird of Aberdalgie. Now if, as Dr Thomson infers, the original seat of the Olifaunts in Perthshire was Dupplin, where they had been settled since about 1200 woule on , d expec tmonumen e thath f ti t related to the knight of Dupplin, he would have been described as of that place. marrieo beed wh e Wishare ha dnth h t i f I t heiress mighe h , t have been designated as of Dupplin and Aberdalgie, or of Aberdalgie and Dupplin, but hardly, one would suppose, as of Aberdalgie alone. Februarn I y 1365, i.e. t aboua same th t e tim this ea s orderedslas bwa , Walter Olifaunt and Elizabeth his wife, the King's sister, received from David II new charters of all their lands in return for their surrender under the old infeftments, and one of these charters was granted in respect of the lands of

Scalacronica (Maitland Club, 1836), p. 127.

1 2 Italics mine. 3 Calendar of Documents Relating Scotland,o t vol. iii . 379.p . " Concernin gcertaia n piec f laneo d called Nakederse which belonge Williao dt m Olifan helo chien di wh t f fro kinge remaininmw th no , n gi king'e th s han s guardiada whicd nan h extend shilling6 e valu 6 pence8 th f d o eo t s t wilsan i , e b l liable for 16 shillings and 8 pence." (The translation is mine.) 4 Calendar of Documents Relating Scotland,o t vol. . ii.1970No , . NOTE SCOTTISN O S H INCISED SLAB9 10 S (III). Aberdalgi Dupplin.d ean 1 mentioe th This d Aberdalgif an ,n o e onlyth n i inscription possibly ma , y imply tha lande th t Dupplif so n were never held Williamr Si e th y , b lair Aberdalgief do dieo 1330n di ,wh t cam,bu Walteeo t r at some time subsequent to his death, i.e. that this Sir William was the Constable of Stirling and not the knight of Dupplin. Walter, however, on 1st March 1363 witnessed a charter 2 as "dominus de Abyrdalgy," so that unles lande sth Dupplif so nbetwee m camhi o et n that datFebruard ean y 1365, the presumabld yha y been merged with thos Aberdalgif eo e prioo rt 1363, in which case the monument might be that of either. Incidentally, the traditional genealogy, compiled in 1580, states that e Constableth Waltef o wely t n while b ma lso rbu , t Olifaune i th s wa t correc thiso t t s i contain,a t s several error othen o s r points thao s s , it t testimony cannot safely be relied on. On the meagre evidence thus far available there seems no way of deter- mining which Sir William the slab commemorates, and the attribution of the modern inscriptions set up in the church and churchyard must remain in doubt. And here it is necessary to draw attention to an error in Sir Herbert Maxwell's translation of the latter part of the Scalacronica. At page 52 3 (dealing with the events leading up to Bannockburn) the following passage occurs:— "... the chronicles explain that after the Earl of Atholl had captured the f Robero e Brae us d t e t stowJohth S fro r f no nfo m William Oliphant, captain [thereof] for the King of England, being at that time an adherent of his [Edward's], although shortly afte desertee h r d him e sai,th d Robert marche forcn di e before the castle of Stirling . . ." translatioe th This d ha , n been correct, would have provide valuable dth e information tha e Constablth t reture nationad th edi o nt l side soon after the capture of Perth, which in turn would have established a strong prob- ability that the monument was his. Unfortunately, the passage hardly admits of such a construction. It reads: "... lez croniclis devisen le e q apre e counq to Athelice se d t s avoit emble vila l saine ed t Johan sure William Olifart, capitayn Dengleterrey deparo e l r , al use Robert de Bruys, com cely qenherdaunt estoit a ly al hour mais tost ly guerpy, qi Rober t devaun treos e s tn ye chastee l t Strivelye d l . . "n. 4 On referrin thiso gt t seeme i ,tha e m t o d"celyt " must almost certainly Olifaunto refer,t Athollt o t thereforI t no d bu ,an , e submitte passage dth e

Professoo t r John Orr, M.A., B.Litt., Edinburgf Lo ., esL. h Universito y(t Th1 e Scots Peerage, vol. vi. 536p . , note. Charter of the lands of the barony of by Maurice Drummond to John Mercer, burgess of Perth2 , printe Cowandn i Anciente Th , Capital of Scotland (London, 1904), . 266-268volpp . i . » Glasgow (1907). ' Scalacronica (Maitland Club, 1836) . 140p , • . 0 11 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1946-48.

whom I would express my thanks for his ready help), whose expert judgment confirmed my view. The correct rendering is therefore: ".. chroniclee .th s explain that afte Eare Atholf th r lo take d towe lha nth n t JohoS f n agains e oppositioth t f Williano m Olifaunt, captain [thereofe th r fo ] Kin Englandf go behaln o , Roberf o f Bruse d t , whose adheren [Atholle h t a s ]wa the time, though he soon deserted him, the said Robert, etc. ..." This accords exactly with wha s knowi t f AtholTno s conduc t thia t s period Februarn I . y 131s Edwari e 2h d II's "well-belove faithfud dan l David, Earl of Atholl," and has a grant of two of the Templars' manors in Yorkshire durinm helhi King'e e b gy th d b o ,t s pleasure. 131y e 3Ma th n I 1 grant is revoked, because David, Earl of Atholl, "now adheres to Robert de Brus131f o r enem d 6e ou , h hav rebelen d e ye w an es th a ,heard. y b t Bu " 2 is once more in high favour at the -English court, and receives permission to keep any movable goods of the Scots, "our enemies and rebels," that he can seize, and also the ransoms of any of the said enemies he is able to capture, the King binding himself, should he desire to have any of the Earl's prisoners hande Earmarkde 0 oveth eacl10 r y himo srfo t h pa suco ,t h person.3

I would expres gratefuy m s l acknowledgment. V e Rev. S th . o .t R s Logie, parish minister of Aberdalgie, and Miss Mary Smith, interim County Librarian, Montrose ;e latr Thoma th alsM e o ot s McLaren, F.S.A.Scot., and the late Mr J. Ross Smyth, of the Sandeman Public Library, Perth, for much kind help.

(B) STOBO, PEEBLBSSHIRB. Ther three ear e slab norte th s brownishf here,hn i o chapell e al ar l al -; grey sandstone. No. 2 stands against the east wall, the other two are built int norte oth h wall I too. k these rubbing Aprin si l 1945.

(1) A Man in Armour (? early Sixteenth Century). I thin title kthif th e o s paper should perhaps have been "Dignitd yan Impudence," for after the magnificent slab with which I have just dealt, it almost savours of an obscene jest to introduce this (fig. 2). The slab was discovered in May 1928. The effigy, without exception e crudesth I havt Christiay ean see n o nn monument obviousld an , t yno n ordinare wora th f o k y engraver f somo t e bu ,ver locaw yra l hands i , more suggestiv a Sout f idoa o e hSe l tha na huma e onln th form yd an , excuse for putting it on record is the somewhat unusual costume its begetter 1 Rymer, Foedera (1727), vol. iii . 303p . . 2 Ibid., vol. iii . 404.p . 3 Ibid., vol. iii . 587.p . NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (III). Ill has attempted to portray. On the body 5 FT. is a garment presumably intended for a jack—a form of "poor man's armour " —in this case probably of quilted linen, over which is worn a narrow hip-belt. The limb e apparentlar s n i platy e armour, for it seems that coudes are intended at the elbows and genouilleres at the knees, and the feet are encased in pointed sollerets, with rowel spurs. Whethe e lineth r s which fringe th e uppe e rface meanth parar ef o o tt t represent hair or a small close-fitting helmet it is impossible to say, but the sligh te top peath ,t togethea k r with the absence of ears, may perhaps suggest e lattere handth e Th evidentl.ar s y supposed to be placed one behind the other in an attitude of prayer. On sinister side, partly covere e leftth y db shoulde arm d larga ran s i , e two-handed sword with pear-shaped pommel, bound grip, and straight quillons. At top sinisteo , t heade th e f ar ,o r two curious objects more lightly engraved tha e figur th nd sword an e , which are deeply cut: what these are intendeI canno e b o tdt make outs ,a identifiablt e seeb theno mo o t y d s a e initials; they may be the idle work of some tomb-defacer of later days. The extreme crudeness of the en- graving render fixine approxin sth a f go - mate date in this case somewhat difficult, but pointed sollerets went out of fashion n Englani d about 1485 allowind an , g for some time-la Scotlandn gi e slath , b should probabl assignee y b firse th t o dt half of the sixteenth century. It is, so far as my experience extends, unique in its representation of the jack.

The dimensions are 5' 6|" long by Fig. 2. A man in armour (? early 16th 1' 8" at top and 1' 6" at bottom. century). Stobo, Peeblesshire. 112 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1946-48.

^•SJ'JW* &7'W*&**!™

Fig. 3. A mill-rind (? late 13th or 14th Fig. 4. Eobert Vessy, Vicar of Stobo (1473). century). Stobo, Peeblesshire. Stobo, Peeblesshire. (extra margin on sinister sid t showneno ) (same scale as fig. 4) NOTES ON SCOTTISH INCISED SLABS (III). 113

(2) A Mill-rind (? late Thirteenth or Fourteenth Century). This sla bJ5 inche (figs i ) .3 s thic measured kan s 5-| fee lengthn i t t I . tapers slightly, being 1 foot 9^ inches wide at top and 1 foot 7 inches at base. In top dexter corner is a mill-rind; the only other engraving consists lineo otw fs markin oblonn a f gof g section alon e uppegth r sinister edge, whose significance I am unable to determine (? possibly some part of the furnishings of a mill). The slab is extremely difficult to date, but may perhap lat e earls a th e s e thirteentya sb h century presumabld an , y covered the grave of a miller.1 Mr Wilson, the schoolmaster, informs me that a few years ago this slab, whic previously hla churchyarde th n yi removes wa , placed dan n di its present position at the charge of a casual visitor.

(3) Robert Vessy, Vicar of Stobo (1473). The slab (fig. 4) is 6 feet 3-| inches long and apparently about 3 feet 1 inch wide partld an , y conceale sinisten do rooe r th sid f y vaultingeb t bearI . s a chalice with sacred monogram above. The black-letter inscription run stope closth , o edextet bottod an r m margins sinistee th t rbu , lins ei some distanc froe stonen ei e edg th m th f emoso a , t unusual arrangement (not shown in illustration). Beginning at top and running to sinister, it reads: "Hie iace Mag(iste)) t r Robertus Vessy oli(m) vicari(us e stobd | ) o q(u) obii| i tMai e x°di i an(n)o d(omi)ni M°CCCC°LXXIII." 2 The letter n bracketi s e representear s y contractiob d n markst A . the commencement is a cross patee, and quatrefoils are interposed between wordse mosth f o t .

other 1Fo r illustration mill-rindf so tombstonesn so Proc.e ,se xl. 235, 236. 2 This differs fro e readinmth g give Scot.n ni Eccles. Soc. t afte Irons.,bu , r carefu76 . p vol . lix . study on the spot I believe it to be correct.

VOL. LXXXI.