Stoneywood, St Mary's Chapel And Graveyard, Holy Well

The remains of St Mary’s Chapel occupy a terrace along the upper inner edge of a small burial-ground that is situated on S-facing slope. It appears to have been a simple rectangular building measuring 10.55m from WNW to ESE by 6m transversely within what are now the fragmentary remains of stone walls. The W half of the N wall has been robbed out or remains buried, and the S half of the E gable has been cut into by a burial lair. The dimensions of the building are, however, confirmed by Logan, who wrote (c.1818-20) that ‘The vestigia are scarcely visible, but serve to shew the dimensions to have been about 30 feet, by 17’ (Cruickshank 1941, 63).

The burial-ground, a quadrilateral in plan, is enclosed by a rubble and mortar wall, and entered through a gate on its E side. The granite gate piers bear the date 1834. Just inside the gate a stone bears a bronze plaque with the inscription 1930/ABERDEEN COUNTY COUNCIL/ST MARY’S CHAPEL OF STONEYWOOD/1367. This probably refers to the phase of restoration noted by Cruickshank (Cruickshank 1941, xxvii).

The chapel first appears on record in 1368 in a grant by David II to Donald Bannerman of the two Clintertys, and the two Auchrinys (the Waterton and the Welton). A condition of this grant was that Donald and his heirs should complete ‘illam capellam Beate Marie Virginis in eadem terra situatam’. He was also to cause a weekly mass to be celebrated for the soul of the King’s father, Robert I, and for all those of the faithful contributing to the chapel in its incomplete condition at the time the late Michael Cock died (Reg. Mag. Sig., I, 283). Following the Reformation the chapel evidently fell into disuse, although it retained a valuable local role as a burial-place. However, as it no longer formed part of the reformed parish structure, it was regarded as contaminated by Catholic associations. In 1649 the Kirk Session of St Machar’s ordained that ‘None shall burie in the chapell of Stiniwood under payne of church censure’ (Cruickshank 1934, 11). The burial-ground contains numerous gravestones, many Roman Catholic. The oldest headstone noted on the day of visit bore the date 1801, but a covering of snow prevented examination of any recumbent monuments.

Jervise (1875, 286) refers to the existence in the SW corner of the graveyard of ‘a well of very pure water’ and notes that it was once regarded as ‘good for the stomach, and for cleansing and curing ulcerous tumours on any part of the body when bathed within it’. Its site is now indicated by a hollow in the SW corner of the burial-ground, the bottom of the slope on its N side revetted by a low drystone retaining wall.

Visited by RCAHMS (IFr, AW, 22 November 1996).

NJ 866 111 As a follow up to last year's work with Northfield History Group (DES 2003, 12), the well (NJ81SE 8) which was partly visible in the SW corner of the graveyard was uncovered. It was originally constructed as a semi-circular well-head, but in the 19th century it was converted into a stone-lined oval structure, 2.44m long and 0.94m at its widest. It is unlikely that the well was used as a drinking point for animals as it was within consecrated ground.

Sponsors: Aberdeen City Council, Local Heritage Initiative

A Cameron 2004.