Archaeology Notes

Event ID 716127

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/716127

NT47NE 1 4614 7988

See also NT47NE 17.

(NT 4614 7988) St Mary's Chapel (NR) (site of)

OS 6" map (1968)

There was a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary within the cemetery of Aberlady parish church. It was situated in the NW corner of the cemetery; about 1927, when the churchyard was being extended, several stone coffins were found, some 30yds from the chapel site. The only one seen by Caldwell was buried about 10' down, and was of solid stone, without a cover, chiselled to the shape of a body and the head. It was oriented E-W (information from T Caldwell, Aberlady, to A S Henshall, NMAS, 14 December 1956).

A sandstone cross-slab fragment, measuring approximately 2' by 7 1/2" by 7", was found in 1863 built into the wall of the manse garden, which is in close proximity to the chapel site. Clapham states it is of a purely Anglian type, dateable to the 7th century and should, in all historical probability, date to the short period of the Anglian see of Abercorn (681-5). This slab was removed to Carlowrie Castle (NT 142 744 NT17SW 52.01), where it remained until 1966, when it was donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland [NMAS].

RCAHMS 1924, visited 1914; 1929, visited 1926; J R Allen and J Anderson 1903; A W Clapham 1930; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1968