Tablestone for William Hounture and Robert Smith, 1684. Digital image of A 34976 PO.

Description Tablestone for William Hounture and Robert Smith, 1684. Digital image of A 34976 PO.

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

Catalogue Number SC 803762

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of A 34976 PO

Scope and Content Table tomb commemorating William Hounture and Robert Smith, St Cuthbert's Church and Graveyard, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries & Galloway The table tomb is plain without any decoration, other than the lengthy inscription, which, like most, describes how the men came to die as well as naming those responsible for their execution. James Graham of Claverhouse, infamously known as 'Bloody Claverhouse', was responsible for the arrest, capture and often execution, of those suspected to have Covenanting sympathies. Fiercely loyal to the House of Stewart, and raised to the peerage as Viscount Dundee, he met his death leading an army against William of Orange's forces after the Glorious Revolution. The Covenanters were those Scots who sought to defend the rights of the Church of Scotland against the imposition of bishops and Anglican rites, a policy vigorously pursued by the Stewart monarchs. They were persecuted for their refusal to accept the king's rights to impose his will on the church. Government soldiers were deployed throughout lowland Scotland, and patrolled the countryside with the aim of hunting down anyone suspected of Covenanting or disloyal sentiments, particularly those attending 'Conventicles', the illegal open-air religious meetings led by Covenanting ministers deposed from their parishes. The persecution became particularly bloody between the Restoration of 1660 and the overthrow of James VII/II in 1688, years which became known as the 'killing times'. In 1679, a group of Covenanters defeated a party of soldiers sent to break up their prayer meeting. This victory at Drumclog in Lanarkshire sparked a rebellion, and their forces briefly occupied Glasgow before being totally routed by a large Royalist army at the Battle of Bothwell Brig. Those not killed in the fighting, or the subsequent rout, were taken to Edinburgh where many were tried and executed. This table tomb commemorates William Hounture and Robert Smith, both Covenanters, who were executed in 1684 for their beliefs. The main part of the stone's upper face is inscribed: 'THIS MONUMENT SHALL SHEW POSTERITY./TWO HEADLESS MARTYRES UNDER IT DOTH LY/BY BLOODY GRHAME WERE TAKEN AND SURUPRIS'D/BROUGHT TO THIS TOUNE AND AFTERWARD WERE [...]/BY UNJUST LAW WERE SENTENCED TO DIE/THEM FIRST THEY HANG'D THEN HEADED CRUELY/CAPTAINS BRUCE DOUGLAS GRHAME OF CLAVERHOUSE WERE THESE THAT CAUSED THEM TO BE HANDLED THUS/AND WHEN THEY WERE UNTO THE GIBBET COME/TO STOPE THEIR SPEECH THEY DID BEAT UP THE DRUM/AND ALL BECAUSE THAT THEY WOULD NOT COMPLY/WITH INDULGENCE AND BLOODY PRELACIE./IN FACE OF CRUEL BRUCE DOUGLAS AND GRHAME/THEY DID MAINTAIN THAT CHRIST WAS LORD SUPREAM/AND BOLDLY OUNED BOTH THE COVENANTS./AT KIRKCUDBRIGHT THUS ENDED THESE TWO SANTS.' Along one edge of the stone is inscribed: 'WILLIAM HOUNTURE/ROBERT SMITH 1684'. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap