Dunscore Churchyard

 Dunscore Churchyard

These lines from 'Elegy in a Country Churchyard', often come to mind as I walk through Dunscore Churchyard, close as it is to my home.  Gray's Elegy abounds with quotations - 'Each in his narrow cell for ever laid', - 'Let not ambition mock their useful toil', - 'The paths of glory lead but to the grave', - 'Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife'.  The verse which applies most aptly to Dunscore Churchyard is surely, -

There are many gravestones with lines of poetry, some very difficult to read.  In the far corner there is a large stone, obviously meant for many family names, but bearing only two, - Andrew and Margaret Coltart, of Stroquhan Lodge.  Andrew died in 1881 aged 75 yrs, his wife having predeceased him in1853, aged only 35.  Their family added these poignant words, -

Near the West Door there is a grave containing much local information,  The first name is that of one, Mary Smith, wife of Benjamin McAllister who died at Lochhill in 1902.  Benjamin died  at Maxwell Terrace in 1909.  Maxwell Terrace is on the skirts of the village, now known as 'Jalee'.  The next name is William Waugh, kinsman to Robert Waugh, Craigeller.  William died at Fernlea in 1934, and his widow, Martha McAllister died at Hillcrest, opposite the church.  The almost illegible verse whih adorns this grave reads as follows:-

The old house at Dalgoner Mill is now a total ruin.  Even the pump outside the milk house has gone.  But on 13th November, 1828, Jean Welsh died there, she having been born in 1768.  Her husband, James McKay added these words:_

The word 'welcomed' is reproduced as sculpted with an x under the m in place of a caret.  Note that even with this correction the e is still omitted.  The mis-spelling of 'her' in the first line is also as it appears on the stone.  Of course, it may have been that the McKay family lived right down beside the river in the old mill at the Linn.  There are evidences, long since buried, that one of the buildings down there had been a dwelling house.

There is a quaint stone near the gate where the inscription is diamond shaped.

There is a delightful vagueness about the age of the parents!

Set in the South wall of the church is a memorial in white marble to Francis Johnstone Wilson of Coglin and Stroqhan, who died in 1856 aged only 36 years. The verse of scripture reads:-

This poem follows:-

Near the Grierson lair is a nicely decorated stone to John Clark, 15th October 1889,  Aged 56 years.                                                                                                                                            Two lines of poetry follows:-

I wonder if John wrote his own epitaph?

Near the site of Aggie Hyslop's cottage, by the trees planted by the late William Rankine there is a stone bearing one name only, the cross above leaning against the wall.  How great must have been the sorrow of little Stuart Harrison's parents, and how sad that Easter of 1910.

Under this inscription and almost buried :in this poem, full of pathos:-

South of the church there is a stone recording the death of a young Dunscore boy whose career in journalsm was cut short after only a few years.

There is a very ancient stone beside the path with a carving of a man bearing a skull in one hand and a dagger in the other.  The reverse side contains this inscription:-

The Grierson grave near the East door of the church has a stone laid into the ground, and appearing to be of slate. It commemorates:-