Accessibility

Font Size

100% 150% 200%

Background Colour

Default Contrast
Close Reset

Tillicoultry, Old Parish Church

Burial Ground (Medieval), Church (Medieval) - (Post Medieval)(Possible), Grave Slab (17th Century), Grave Slab (Medieval), Gravestone (16th Century), Hogback Stone (12th Century), Manse (Medieval) - (Post Medieval)(Possible)

Site Name Tillicoultry, Old Parish Church

Classification Burial Ground (Medieval), Church (Medieval) - (Post Medieval)(Possible), Grave Slab (17th Century), Grave Slab (Medieval), Gravestone (16th Century), Hogback Stone (12th Century), Manse (Medieval) - (Post Medieval)(Possible)

Alternative Name(s) Tillicoultry House, Churchyard

Canmore ID 48298

Site Number NS99NW 9

NGR NS 92388 97579

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/48298

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

Toggle Aerial | View on large map

Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Clackmannan
  • Parish Tillicoultry (Clackmannanshire)
  • Former Region Central
  • Former District Clackmannan
  • Former County Clackmannanshire

Archaeology Notes

NS99NW 9 92395 97583

(NS 9239 9758) Close behind Tillicoultry House (NS99NW 92.00) is the old churchyard, next to which there stood in former times, the church and manse.

W Gibson 1883.

In the small graveyard behind Tillicoultry House there are a few interesting tombstones dating from as early as 1522. Among them is a fine hog-backed monument, probably of about 12th century date. It is ornamented on its sloping sides. A recumbent slab of the coped type has been considerably re-chiselled, and bears the initials H D and I P - probably not original - inscribed on the top. On one of the sloping sides is cut a broad-bladed sword.

RCAHMS 1933, visited 1927.

This small burial ground is covered with dense vegetation. Of the two monuments described above, the hog-backed stone is too much weathered to identify any ornament clearly. The coped stone now lies in a metal container. Both are 2.0m in length.

Visited by OS (J D) 12 June 1953.

Activities

Field Visit (26 July 1927)

Graveyard, Tillicoultry House.

In a small graveyard immediately behind Tillicoultry House there are a few interesting tombstones.

(1) A grave-slab, measuring 5 feet 11 inches in length by 2 feet 2 inches broad and 6 inches in thickness, bears the inscription: HERE LYES THE / CORPUS OF / ROBERT MEIK / LEJOHN SKI/NNER AND / BURGIS OF / EDINBURGH / WHODEPAIR/TED THIS LYF/THE 28 OF A /PRYL 1651AND/OF HIS AGE HE/VAS 81. Below the inscription is a shield bearing the representation of a hand or glove, and beneath the shield are the words: PORTIONER OF ELISTOUN.

(2) Close beside the above stone is a fine hog-backed monument (Fig. 29), probably of about 12th-century date. It shows three rows of a scalloped scale-ornament on each of its sloping sides and has a plain dividing ridge, 4 inches wide, along the top. It is 6 ¼ feet in length, while the two extremities are 18 by 15 inches and 16 by 11 inches, respectively. The monument is slightly arched in the middle.

(3) Another stone is dated 1522. Below the date are the initials I.M. and I.D. in large letters, and at the foot is a broad spade. The slab measures 6 feet 2 inches long by 2 feet 2 inches wide and is 7 inches thick.

(4) Another recumbent slab of the coped type has been considerably re-chiselled. It measures 6 ¼ feet in length and is inscribed on the top with the initials H.D. and I.P. These initials are probably no part of the original monument. On one of the sloping sides-that to the north-there is a broad-bladed sword with pointed pommel and straight quillons beneath what has apparently been a three-stepped cross, while on the sloping face to the south are two similar crosses, of which only the bases and shafts are now visible. These two crosses have been set base to base, so that the shafts extend in opposite directions towards the two ends of the stone. A cavity, 12 inches in length, 10 in width, and 8 inches deep, is cut on the upper face of the stone, at its west end.

RCAHMS 1933, visited 26 July 1927.

Field Visit (July 1977)

Tillycoultry NS 923 975 NS99NW 9

Burial-ground and probable site of' old church; the tombstones include (i) a 'hogback' monument of 12th-century date, (ii) several medieval recumbent slabs, (iii) stones of later date.

RCAHMS 1978, visited July 1977

(Gibson 1883, 155; RCAHMS 1933, PP. 325-6, No. 616; Lang 1974, 218, 232)

Archaeological Evaluation (3 June 2016)

NS 92390 97579 A non-intrusive evaluation was undertaken on 3 June 2016 under the terms of the HES Human Remains call-off contract. A number of disarticulated bone fragments had been identified within molehills by a student conducting a study of the site. Upon arrival at the site it was evident that maintenance of the graveyard had flattened the majority of the molehills. However, loose areas of spoil and some molehills were visible next to a number of the grave markers. All loose soil was sieved for human bone and artefacts. Eight of the molehills contained

probable human bone, and an area of loose soil under a raised tombstone also contained a few fragments of human bone. A number of fragments of probable animal bone were also retrieved from the ground surface in the NW corner of the site.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland

Kevin Paton – AOC Archaeology Group

(Source: DES, Volume 17)

OASIS ID - aocarcha1-255620

References

MyCanmore Image Contributions


Contribute an Image

MyCanmore Text Contributions