View of gravestone 'The Ritchie Stone', 1710.

Description View of gravestone 'The Ritchie Stone', 1710.

Date c. 1980

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

Catalogue Number SC 789619

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content 'The Ritchie gravestone', Lundie Parish Church, Lundie, Angus This gravestone was erected by a tailor in memory of his children. He has chosen to include the tools of his trade, scissors and an iron (or 'goose') within the central shield. Below this are a row of death emblems, including crossed bones and a skull, below a ribbon inscribed 'Memento Mori' (remember you must die'). Two torches, with one flaming and one extinguished flame at each end, flank the main panel, and symbolise life and death. The top of the stone features an intricately-carved scene of Adam and Eve. Scenes illustrating the Biblical story of Adam and Eve are often found on Scottish gravestones. In this example, Adam (left) is shown holding the apple which Eve (right) has accepted from the serpent, which curls around the apple tree (centre). The serpent's tail ends in the dart of Death. The scene symbolises the fall of man, obedience to God, and the hope of redemption in Christ, (sometimes called 'the second Adam'). The other side of this stone carries a scene showing the sacrifice of Isaac, symbolising the testing of faith and the sacrifice of the crucifixion. This gravestone commemorates Mary, Isobel, Margory, William, James and John Ritchie, who all died between 1746 and 1759. It is inscribed: 'Erected by Donald Ritchie sometime/taylor in Nether Smithstone & his/wife Isobel Gibbins in memorie of/their children Viz; Mary who died/13th November 1759 aged 17 years,/Isobel who died 13 March 1746/aged two years, Margory who/died 13 Novemebr1746 aged 6 months/William who died 24th April 1758/aged 9 years, James who died 4th/April 1752 aged one year/THE SERPENT BEGUILED ME AND I DID EAT'. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

External Reference BWA/17/S

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/789619

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap