View of gravestones of Alexander Piersone and Margaret Murray.

Description View of gravestones of Alexander Piersone and Margaret Murray.

Date 1993

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

Catalogue Number B 42932/5

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 794939

Scope and Content Gravestones of Alexander Piersone and Margaret Murray, Chapelton Burial Ground, Angus These two gravestones are similar in style, and both feature a central skull, flanked by crossed bones and an hourglass. Both have scrolled decorations on their top edges, but these differ slightly in execution. The stone on the left has the added detail of an incised ribbon carved with the phrase 'MEMENTO MORI', which means 'remember you must die'. Husbands and wives are often commemorated on the same stone, so this (almost) matching pair is quite a rarity. The distinctive style of lettering and carving appears to be by the same mason, who uses incised dots between his text to help the viewer reading the stone. This shows the gravestone of Alexander Piersone, who died in 170(?), and his wife Margaret Murray, who died in 1694. They are inscribed (left): 'MR ALEXANDER PIERS/ONE OF BALMADIES VAS/BORN THE 3 OF FEBRI 1626/DIED THE 13 OF MARCH 170/AND VAS HIER INTERRED/THE 26 OF THE SAID MONTH'. The stone (right) is inscribed: 'DAM MARGRET MV/RRAY SPOUSE TO MR/ALEXANDER PIERSONE/OF BALMADIES VAS BO/RN THE 9 OF IVNE 1625/DIED THE 12 OF SEPT/ER 1694 AND VAS HI/ER INTERRED THE 26/OF SAID MONETH'. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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