Wigtown, Church Lane, Wigtown Parish Church, Churchyard
Burial Ground (17th Century), Covenanters Grave(S) (17th Century), Cross (10th Century)
Site Name Wigtown, Church Lane, Wigtown Parish Church, Churchyard
Classification Burial Ground (17th Century), Covenanters Grave(S) (17th Century), Cross (10th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Wigtown Parish Church; Bank Street; Wigtown, Churchyard And Covenanters' Graves
Canmore ID 63338
Site Number NX45NW 15.01
NGR NX 43544 55503
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/63338
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Wigtown
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Wigtown
- Former County Wigtownshire
NX45NW 15.01 43544 55503
For (predecessor) St Machute's Church (within churchyard), see NX45NW 4.
There is a piece of a 10th century cross-shaft in Wigtown churchyard. Also in the churchyard are two tombstones to Covenant martyrs, one commemorating William Johnston, John Milroy and George Walker, who were executed in 1685, and the other, to Margaret Wilson and Margaret McLauchlan, who were executed by drowning that same year. (See NX45NW 16).
W G Collingwood 1925; NSA 1845 (P Young)
The 10th century cross-shaft and the Covenanters' graves were located at NX 4356 5562 and NX 4354 5553 respectively.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (RD) 18 August 1970.
Publication Account (1986)
One of the most infamous groups of Covenanting tombstones, all dating from 1685 and bearing later inscriptions, is contained within a railed enclosure in the northern half of the burial-ground at Wigtown. The lengthy text of the single table-tomb commemorates the sad fate of the 18-year old Margaret Wilson, who was martyred by drowning 'within the sea tied to a stake'. A headstone records that Margaret Lachlan, aged 63, suffered likewise, and a second headstone refers to the hanging 'without sentence of law' of William Johnston, John Milroy, and George Walker 'for their adherence to Scotland's Reformation Covenant's National and Solemn League'. In 1858 a martyrs' monument in the form of an obelisk was erected on Windyhill (430554), and a stone post at NX 437556 marks the approximate site of the drowning, now dry land.
Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Dumfries and Galloway’, (1986).
