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In the church yard of Aberdalgy and on the spot where the old church stood there is a
monument of black marble with the inscription in Saxon Capitals "Hic jacet Dominus
Willielmus Oliphant Dominus de Aberdalgy que obiit anno mill ccc.vigesimo nono. Orate
pro anima ejus." This perhaps was that brave man the dupy governor of Stirling castle who when
summoned in the name of Edward I. to surrender it made that noble reply, "I have never
sworn fealty to Edward but I have sworn to Keep the castle and therefore must wait the
orders of my constituents" and who when the Castle was besieged by Edward in person
and his whole army had the courage to defend it for full three months; though before
the commencement of the siege all the rest of the Kingdom had been forced to submit
to Edwards power. Douglas in his peerage says I Know not on what authority, that Ou's
was the deputy governor's son; and Crawford in his that he was his grandson. Both agree
that it was this Sir William Oliphant who subscribed along with several other scottish barons
this famous letter to the Pope which asserts with so much spirit the independence of Scotland
Old Stat. Acct. [Statistical Account] vol. [volume] 18 p. [page] 156-7

Note.- The above extract agrees pretty nearly with the tradition concerning this monument which is still in the church yard. It is a large heavy slab of black marble, or rather a stone resembling a sort of blackish limestone. on the middle of it is sculpted in basso relievo the rude figures of a Knight in armour. surrounded overhead and on each side with Gothic ornaments some of which is broken. on one side it is a basso relievo figure of a Knight in minature with cross legs in allusion I suppose to some one of the family who served in the crusades or holy wars. There appears at present no insciptionon this stone,but there has been a large hewn stone of hard sandstone placed over it supported by pillars in a table like form of modern construction in order to preserve it from further injury. This is said to have been done by one of the Oliphants of Gask and on this modern slab is the inscription transcribed in the above extracts. This monument is usually called " Lord Oliphants monument" but on examining the Scottish peerage it will be seen that the oliphants has not the title of Lords or barons untill long after the date ascribed to this stone. It is therefore thought proper to write it simply "Oliphant's Monument" on plan
J.C.

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