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Edinburgh, 1 Chamberlain Road, John Livingstone's Tomb
Tomb (17th Century)
Site Name Edinburgh, 1 Chamberlain Road, John Livingstone's Tomb
Classification Tomb (17th Century)
Canmore ID 52585
Site Number NT27SW 118
NGR NT 24751 71920
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/52585
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
NT27SW 118 24751 71920
INVENTORY OF GRAVEYARD AND CEMETERY SITES IN SCOTLAND REFERENCE:
Address: John Livingstone's Tomb, Chamberlain Road, Edinburgh
Postcode: EH10 4DL
Status: Not known
Size: N/a
TOIDs:
Number of gravestones: 1
Earliest gravestone: 1645
Most recent gravestone: 1645
Description: Isolated burial
Data Sources: OS MasterMap checked 20 September 2005
Publication Account (1951)
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.
