Detail of gravestone. Digital image of B 4315/22

Description Detail of gravestone. Digital image of B 4315/22

Date 1991

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

Catalogue Number SC 801004

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of B 4315/22

Scope and Content East face of a gravestone commemorating Mary Ballantin, Walston Parish Church and Churchyard, South Lanarkshire Above the inscription panel is a winged figure, representing the soul's flight to heaven. Here, the soul is shown with long hair with a neat centre-parting, and could be a likeness of Mary. Beneath the soul's wings are what appear to be flowers, an emblem which could hold a range of possible meanings. It is thought that fruit and flowering plants were used to signify ideas about the afterlife, a place where life flourishes once more after mortal death. Post-Reformation gravestones like as this are an important part of the nation's heritage, documenting the lives of ordinary Scots who would otherwise leave little record of their existence. Through the decorative carvings and inscriptions it is possible to learn more about the lives of these people, what they did for a living and, in some cases, the clothes they wore and even what they looked like. This gravestone commemorates Mary Ballantin, wife of the tenant farmer of Elrigshill, who died in 1723 at the age of 45. The memorial is inscribed: 'HERE LAYS THE BODY OF/MARY BALLANTIN SPOUS TO/MUNGO LINDSAY IN ELRIGSHILL/WHO DAYED THE 5 SEPTR THE/YEAR OF GOD 1723 AGED 45'. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/801004

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap