Monifieth Churchyard. Headstone,William Coupar, 1785. Digital image of BWA 401.

Description Monifieth Churchyard. Headstone,William Coupar, 1785. Digital image of BWA 401.

Date 1785

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

Catalogue Number SC 799253

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content Gravestone of William Cowper and Agnes Lindsay, St Regulus' Church and Burial-Ground, Monifieth, Dundee This shows the gravestone with its egg and dart pattern moulded borders and beautifully carved central winged soul (symbol of the spirit ascending to Heaven after death). Below this is an armorial shield surrounded by mantling (leafy drapery). The shield contains images of picks and mallets. These are the tools of the trade of a 'pickieman', whose job it was to re-cut the grinding surface of millstones. Inscriptions on gravestones are a valuable source of information for those researching genealogy and local history, as they record the date of death, and sometimes the date of birth of individuals. They also record information about people's trades, and beliefs in their carved decorations of tools or emblematic objects and scenes. This gravestone commemorates William Cowper, who died in 1783 and Agnes Lindsay, who died in 1784. It is inscribed: 'Erected in memory of William/Cowper leat miller in Balmossie/Mill who departed this life Febr/3d 1783 aged 56 years &/his wife Agnes Lindsay who/departed Agust the 17 1784 aged 66 years/As the cloud is consumed/and vanisheth away/so he that goeth down/to the grave shall come/up no more'. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

External Reference BWA/401

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/799253

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap