Edinburgh, 1 Chamberlain Road, John Livingstone's Tomb

204. Carved Stone, Ashfield, Chamberlain Road.

In the front garden of this villa is a 17th century burial-enclosure, the burial place of John Livingstone and his wife Elizabeth Rig, who purchased these lands of Greenhill in 1636 (1). The entrance has an edge-roll moulding and is surmounted by a curvilinear broken pediment, on one side of which appear the initials I L and E R, above the incised date 1645, and on the other a shield, flanked by the initials I L and charged: Three cinquefoils, two and one. John Livingstone's tombstone is built into the W. wall of the enclosure. At the top is incised a skull with cross-bones, surmounted by a winged hour-glass with the motto MORS PATET HORA LATET on a label over all. In the centre of the stone is a shield flanked by the initials I L and charged as above. The inscription runs below:

THIS SAINT WHOS CORPS LYES BU/RIED HEIR

LET ALL POSTERITIE ADMEIR

FOR VPRIGHT LIF IN GODLY FEIR

WHEN IUDGMENTS DID THIS LAND / SURROUND

HE WITH GOD WAS WALKING FOUND

FOR WHICH FROM MIDST OF FERS / HE'S CROUND

HEIR TO BE INTERRD BOTH HE

AND FRIENDS BY PROVIDENC AGRIE

NO AGE SHAL LOS HIS MEMORIE

HIS AGE 53 DIED / 1645.

The four corners of the stone are enriched with scrolls. It is sometimes said that Livingstone was Chamberlain of the town and that Chamberlain Road was so named in consequence. This cannot be the case, however, seeing that the first Chamberlain, Thomas Fisher, was only appointed in 1700.

RCAHMS 1951, visited c.1941

(1) O.E.C., iii, pp. 198-200.