View of gravestone commemorating John Smith and Jannet Honey, 1738, in the churchyard of Farnell Parish Church.

Description View of gravestone commemorating John Smith and Jannet Honey, 1738, in the churchyard of Farnell Parish Church.

Date 1989

Collection Papers of Betty Willsher, historian, St Andrews, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 2239451

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of B 4030/21

Scope and Content Gravestone of John Smith, his wife Janet Honey, and their children Alexander and Thomas, Farnell Parish Church and Burial Ground, Angus This gravestone features a stylised winged soul with round face and upper body carved with scrolls and a heart, which contrast with the naturalistically-carved wings. A star is placed on each side of the soul, perhaps symbolising the heavens. Below can be seen a shield carved with the sock and coulter (metal parts) of the plough, emblems of a farmer. It is surrounded by leafy scrolls and a helmet. Emblems of death, an hourglass, a skull and crossed scythe and arrow (the weapons of Death) are sculpted below. A long poem on the reverse of this stone includes the following lines: 'Our nature's frail, we are made of dust/And to the earth return we must/One part of man in ground doth ly/The other mounts above the sky'. The soul on the front of the stone illustrates these lines, and is shown ascending to Heaven, in triumph over the emblems and weapons of Death placed on the lower part of the stone. This monument commemorates John Smith, who died in 1723, his wife Janet Honey, who died in 1729, and their sons Alexander, who died in 1730, and Thomas, who died in 1737. It is inscribed: 'Here lys John Smith in Greenlaw who died/4th December 1723 aged 45 & His Spouse/Janet Honey who died 12th May 1729 aged/60 & their children Alexr who died 6th March/1730 aged 21 & Thomas who died...1737/aged 27'. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/2239451

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap