Archaeology Notes

Event ID 669947

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/669947

NJ73NE 1.00 76850 37777

NJ73NE 1.01 NJ 7688 3777 Pictish symbol stone

NJ73NE 1.02 NJ 7684 3777 Pictish symbol stone

NJ73NE 1.03 NJ 7684 3777 Cross-shaft

NJ73NE 1.04 NJ 7684 3777 Pictish symbol stone

NJ73NE 1.05 NJ 76852 37751 Burial Ground

(NJ 7684 3777) Church (NAT)

Grave of Tifty's Bonnie Annie (NAT)

OS 6" map, (1959)

The parish church built in 1808 in the graveyard of St Peter's, on the site of its early-Medieval predecessor, and incorporating in the E gable (rebuilt c. 1904), three Class I symbol stones and a Class III cross-shaft.

The dedication suggested to Simpson (1935) that this might be one of the foundations of St Boniface, c. 750. It is first on record in 1178 when it was bestowed on the Abbey of Arbroath (NO64SW 18). It measured internally 90' by 22'.

Of the sculptured stones only two belong to this site - the "eagle" stone and the cross-shaft. The "elephant" stone came from the front wall of Fyvie schoolhouse (NJ 7656 3810), where it is published on 1st ed., 6" map, and the fourth stone came to the church from the garden of Rothie Brisbane (NJ 7456 3783), where it is published on 1st ed 6". It is said to have been brought there by Jas Hay Chalmers who had found it serving as a drain-cover on the old county road between Rayne (NJ 69 30) and Auchterless (NJ 71 41). Since he is also said to have removed to Rothie Brisbane a sculptured stone from the centre of the stone circle (NJ63SE 5) at Tocherford near this road, it may be that only the one stone is involved, and that it came from the vicinity of Tocherford. "The Grave of Tifty's Bonnie Annie" is that of Agnes Smith who died in 1673, and is celebrated in local ballad. The gravestone is a 19th century replacement of the original. An oriented long cist with a cup-marked cover slab, found on Kirkton farm, is probably associated with the church. It was discovered on the removal of road-metal from a pit near the road in 1882.

J R Allen and J Anderson 1903; J Ritchie 1915; J A Henderson 1907; W D Simpson 1935; Name Book 1869; 1871; A Bremner 1888; Anon 1882.

Built 1808; alterations and additions c. 1900. Two carved wood panels dated 1603 and 1671 respectively; 1609 Burgerhuys bell and another dated 1809.

G Hay 1957.