The graveyard of the Blackhall family is located within a wooded shelter belt (NS 9178 7169) on the south side of the Avonbridge to Strath road opposite to Blackfaulds House in West Lothian. It faces north towards the House and a fine view across the Avon Valley.
The family graveyard is circular in plan, 10.0m in internal diameter, with a 2.75m tall perimeter wall of random rubble made from locally quarried whinstone, capped with a square sandstone cope. This rises towards the back of the enclosure to follow the natural contours of the bedrock. There is a 2.35m tall arched entrance doorway, 1.1m wide, facing north towards Blackfaulds, its sides forming radii from the centre of the circle. The rear half of the wallhead houses battlements set on an internal scarcement. The merlon opposite the entrance, and that at either end, are larger and more complex than the six plain rectangular ones in between. The latter are about 0.6m tall, the former 1.1m with protruding sides. Both are made of dressed and droved sandstone.
Illus: Blackfaulds Tomb looking north-east. In the centre of the enclosure is an obelisk set on a cubical plinth, bearing numerous inscriptions
Front: SACRED/ TO/ THE MEMORY OF/ WILLIAM/ BLACKHALL/ OF BLACKFAULDS/ WHO DIED THERE/ 7TH SEPTEMBER 1883,/ AGED 73 YEARS./ AND/ HIS BELOVED WIFE/ ELIZABETH THOMSON/ WHO DIED THERE/ 24TH NOVEMBER 1862, AGED 62 YEARS. [top]
AND THEIR ONLY DAUGHTER/ ELIZABETH BLACKHALL/ AND THEIR ONLY SON/ JAMES BLACKHALL. [on plinth]
Right: SACRED/ TO/ THE MEMORY OF/ JAMES BLACKHALL/ COMB MANUFACT-/URER EDINBURGH/ WHO DIED THERE/ 17TH NOVEMBER 1852./ AGED 37 YEARS./ AND/ HIS INFANT DAUGHTER/ HELEN/ BLACKHALL/ WHO DIED AT/ INGLISTON MAINS/ NEAR KIRKLISTON,/ 24TH JULY 1847,/ AGED 15 MONTHS./ AND/ HIS YOUNGER SON/ JOHN CALLENDER/ BLACKHALL/ WHO DIED AT EDINBURGH/ 30TH OCTOBER 1863,/ AGED 20 YEARS. [top]
SACRED/ TO THE MEMORY OF/ HELEN CALLENDER/ THE BELOVED WIFE OF/ JAMES BLACKHALL/ COMB MANUFACTURER, EDINBURGH,/ DIED 7TH FEBY 1892,/ AGED 77 YEARS./ ALSO OF THEIR ELDER SON/ WILLIAM BLACKHALL/ WHO DIED 7TH MAY 1915,/ AGED 73 YEARS. [on plinth]
Illus: The Obelisk in the centre of the Blackfaulds Tomb.
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Left: IN MEMORY OF/ CHARLES W. STUART/ PRIVATE 58TH AUSTRALIANS,/ WHO DIED AT CRAIGLEITH/ MILITARY HOSPITAL EDINBURGH,/ 5TH DECEMBER 1918, AGED 28 YEARS./ ONLY SON OF THE LATE/ BAILIE W.G. STUART/ INVERNESS, AND HIS WIFE/ HELEN BLACKHALL OR STUART.
To the right upon entry (ie. west) a stone plaque with a moulded border is set on the wall.
Wall: ELIZABETH BLACKHALL/ DIED 5TH OCTOBER 1839, AGED 27 YEARS./ SHE WAS THE ONLY DAUGHTER OF/ WILLIAM BLACKHALL/ AND/ ELIZABETH THOMSON,/ SHE WAS NOT –ALY DEAR TO HER PARENTS./ —- —AS —/ —- —- — VIRTUES
According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Pte Charles William Stuart (11742) of the Australian Infantry died at the second Scottish General Hospital in Edinburgh aged 30 on 5th December 1918 and was buried at Blackfaulds. Rev. Garvie, the minister of Avonbridge United Presbyterian Church, officiated. It is said that he was driven to the tomb in a horse-drawn hearse.
Falkirk Local History Society 