stirling-1963-vol-1/05_191

Transcription

No. 146 -- ECCLESIASTICAL MONUMENTS -- No. 146
ceiling, which is of plaster, there is an ornamental panel
(Pl, 38 B).
The older church was dedicated to St. Lawrence. ¹

TOMBSTONE. The only tombstone in the churchyard
on which any inscription earlier than 1707 can be read
is a recumbent slab, largely earthed over, but showing
the date 1692.

856734 -- NS 87 SE -- 20 March 1953

146. Larbert Parish Church and Graveyard. Before
the Reformation, Larbert, like Dunipace, was served
by a chapel which belonged to the Abbot of Cambus-
kenneth. ² No trace of this chapel survives and its position
is unknown. The parish church that preceded the existing
structure has likewise been completely demolished, but
the memorial of its builder, the Reverend Robert Bruce
of Kinnaird (infra), shows that it dated from the first
quarter of the 17th century and stood in what is now
the NE. part of the graveyard. The existing church
stands just E. of the graveyard on the high left bank of
the River Carron (Pl. 31 C). The architect was David
Hamilton. ³ A panel in its entrance lobby records that
it was built in 1820 and was "renovated" in 1887 and
again in 1911, at which latter date the chancel was added.
In view of these alterations and additions, the description
that follows is confined to the principal features, which
are presumably original work of the early 19th century.
Excluding the chancel, the church, which is of dark-
grey ashlar, measures externally 82 ft. 6 in. in length
by 51 ft. 6 in. in breadth. From the W. end a tower
projects 17 ft. and is 20 ft. 6 in. broad. Each side is
divided by intaken buttresses into five bays, and further
buttresses rise at the corners of the main building and of
the tower. All these bear finials, crocketed at the W. end
of the main building and on the tower, and another
crocketed finial stands on the apex of the E. gable. Each
bay except the westernmost on either side contains a tall
window with a returned hood-mould, splayed jambs,
plain Gothic tracery and a transom; the westernmost
bay has a pair of small lancets, one above the other,
lighting respectively a ground-floor lobby and landings
giving access to the gallery (infra). At the wall-head
there is a moulded eaves-course and a plain parapet.
The E. end has been altered by the addition of the
chancel. In the W. end there are two pointed doorways,
one on each side of the tower, opening into the entrance-
lobby which gives access to the body of the church by
two inner doors; and above them are lancets lighting the
gallery landings. The tower is divided into four stages.
At ground level it contains a renovated W. door opening
into a vaulted vestibule from which stairs rise to right
and left of the gallery landings. A smaller stair leads up
the tower from the left-hand gallery-stair. The second
stage shows three windows with plain Gothic tracery,
which light the stairs; the third shows three lancets, and
the uppermost, which contains the bell-chamber, large
louvred openings with tracery. The parapet is embattled,
and the finials are four in number.

HANDBELL. A handbell ⁴ inscribed LERBEIRT 1669
AB is preserved in the Session-house.

THE GRAVEYARD. Immediately inside the E. entrance
to the graveyard there is a small burial-enclosure showing
signs of alteration at more than one period. The central
part of the E. wall is evidently older than the rest, and
shows on its outer side a walled-up entrance 5 ft. 6 in.
wide with rounded arrises, a massive lintel and a
relieving arch above. The lintel bears, in relief, two
groups of initials, S / RE and D / EC, and the date 1663.
evidently for Sir Robert Elphinstone, second of Quarrel,
and his wife Dame Euphame Carstairs, daughter of
Sir John Carstairs of Kilconquhar, whom he married
about 1643. ⁵ As Sir Robert died in 1683 the date on the
lintel must refer to some other event, probably the
building or rebuilding of his house.
Reset in the N. wall of the burial-enclosure there are
three slabs, once presumably recumbent. (i) The western-
most has been broken into six pieces and reassembled. It
bears an inscription in good incised letter and a shield
charged, for Elphinstone: A chevron between three
boars' heads erased. The dedication reads IN MICHAEL
ELPHI / NGSTOWNE DVCEM / KILSYTHEVS (sic)
CAES / VM 15 AVGVST 1645 ("In memory of Michael
Elphinstone, a commander at the Battle of Kilsyth, who
was slain on 15th August 1645"), and below the shield
appear two elegaic couplets:

CAVSA DOMVS CL / ARO PRAECLARA IN / SIGNIA
FEC [I] T
NOBILIOR FATIS P [OS] T [?H] / VMA FAMA T [VA]
LEGIS AMOR [P] ATRI / AEQVE DECVS PAT / RIS
INCLYTA VIRTVS /
ORNABVNT NOMEN PERPETE LAVDAE / TVVM

("The cause of your illustrious house ⁶ has added fame
to your escutcheon; your fame after death is nobler than
your fate. Love of the law, your country's honour and
your father's renowned virtue will adorn your name
with unending praise.") This Michael Elphinstone was
probably the second son of Michael Elphinstone of
Quarrel, who is commemorated on the stone next
described (infra). ⁷ It appears from this inscription that
he held some command, and was killed, at the Battle of
Kilsyth. (ii) The central slab (Pl. 44 C) bears at the top
the date 1680 and below it two shields with initials
above and mottoes below them. The dexter shield is
charged, for Elphinstone: A chevron with a crescent
for difference between three boars' heads erased; the
initials are those of Michael Elphinstone (infra) and
the motto is CAUSE CAUSED. The sinister shield is

1 Ordnance Survey Name Book, Slamannan parish, 12.
2 Stat. Acct., iii (1792), 333.
3 N.S.A., viii (Stirlingshire), 357.
4 P.S.A.S., lxxxiv (1949-50), 82.
5 Gibson, Lands and Lairds of Larbert and Dunipace Parishes,
49 f.
6 Reading CLARAE for the corrupt CLARO.
7 Stirlingshire Sasines, iv, fol. 46.

-- 156

  Transcribers who have contributed to this page.

valrsl- Moderator, Brenda Pollock

  Location information for this page.