Archaeology Notes

Event ID 720950

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/720950

NT52SE 8 57202 20313.

(NT 5719 2030) Church (NR) (Ruins of).

(NT 5719 2030) Jougs (NR)

OS 6" map (1923)

For present parish church (at NNT 5667 2012), see NT52SE 18.

Church, Minto House: A Norman church has evidently stood on this site, which is less than 200 yds. S of Minto House and beside the rose- garden; but the structure no longer exists, what is left being merely a burial-enclosure. Three walls of this are relatively modern, but the fourth may be the remains of the cross-aisle of a church; if so, however, it was one of considerably later date than the Romanesque period. This wall measures 24ft from N to S and 4ft in thickness, and has an entrance in the middle. Into its S end a scalloped capital from a Norman doorway has been inserted, while in the opposite or W wall of the enclosure lie two "mask" corbels as well as a stone decorated on one edge with a reticulated pattern. All these are of the same date as the capital.

TOMBSTONES, ETC. The following carved stones were noted, the first four within and the fifth outside the enclosure :

(1) The cover of a child's coffin, considerably broken, 2ft 5 in long, 12 in and 9 in wide respectively at head and foot, and 5 in thick. It is of a type well known in the 13th and 14th centuries, bearing a Calvary cross with a floreated head. With this is probably to be associated part of a child's sarcophagus 2ft 2 in. long by 1ft 3 1/2 in. wide at the head.

(2) A small headstone commemorating BESIEY TURNBUL, who died in 1698, the husband's surname being illegible.

(3) A small illegible headstone of late 17th-century type.

(4) A small block bearing the initials A B and the date 1647 on a panel. (5) A table tomb commemorating THOMAS TURNBULL OF KNOW, who died in 1646, and JOHN TURNBULL OF KNOW, who died in 1676. Further inscriptions in another lettering are illegible apart from the date 1730.

JOUGS. Beside the Norman capital mentioned above hangs a set of jougs, the collar measuring 6 in. in diameter. They are in such good preservation as to suggest comparatively modern manufacture.

HISTORICAL NOTE. The rectory of Minto is included in Baiamond's Roll of 1275. William de Wodeburn, parson of the church of "Mynetowe", also comes on record in Ragman Roll, in 1296. (Rotuli Scot 1819)

RCAHMS 1956, visited 1945

During the demolition of the church at Minto in 1831, a collection of 400 small silver coins were found. They were chiefly silver pennies of Edward I, Edward II, and Edward III with one or two of the Scottish kings Alexander and Robert.

New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845

The only possible remains of a church visible are the probable cross-aisle, as described above. No further information was obtained during investigation. The carved stones and jougs are also as described above.

Revised at 25".

Visited by OS (WDJ) 30 September 1965