In the early 1820s the sixth Earl of Dunmore built a grand new mansion at Dunmore Park and shortly thereafter he decided to convert the ground floor of the old tower house – called Dunmore or Elphinstone Tower – into a mausoleum for the family. He had the building consecrated for this purpose by Bishop Lowe, the Bishop of Moray then acting for the Bishop of Edinburgh. It was first used in 1836, and subsequently both the said Earl and his wife were interred within its precincts. The conversion involved the insertion of a series of stone alcoves into the vaulted room to receive the coffins. A new arched doorway was built on the south.
In 1850 the then Countess of Dunmore commissioned the construction of an Episcopal Church to the west of the tower, named St Andrew’s Church. A rector was employed by the family and the church was opened to the local community. At the same time Robert Walker, builder, Airth, was employed to add a new spiral lantern and parapet to the tower. The upper floors became summer rooms and were used for study. An additional burial area was created to the north of the church towards its west end and was also consecrated in 1850.
Although latterly the family rarely lived at Dunmore their remains were still brought back to be buried in the family mausoleum. When the Dowager-Countess of Dunmore died at Carberry Tower at Musselburgh in February 1886 the polished oak coffin containing her body was taken to the chapel at Dunmore where it lay until the burial service. A brass plate on the lid of the coffin had the inscription:
Catherine Countess of Dunmore Born 31st October, 1814, Died 12th February, 1886
Lord Elphinstone placed a magnificent wreath on the coffin for the Queen with the words “A mark of regard from V.R.I.”
The silver-mounted plate on the olive wood coffin of Lady Edith Murray in 1906 was inscribed:
“IN MEMORIAM THE HONOURABLE EDITH, LADY MURRAY Died at Cannes, December 1st, 1906. Interred at Dunmore, Stirling, On Monday, December 10th, 1906.”
The coffin was taken from Airth Station to St Andrew’s Church by a hearse and carriages provided by William Scott of the Crown Stables, Falkirk. It was covered and surrounded by numerous handsome wreaths. After the service it left the church to the organ playing “the Dead March” and was carried the short distance to the tower by eight bearers belonging to the Dunmore estate. In the mausoleum it was placed in a recess in the vault opposite those occupied by the remains of her husband and son.
The last to be laid to rest in the mausoleum was Gertrude, the Dowager Countess, who died at Hyde Park on 27 November 1943 aged 96. By then the estate was past its best – the church and tower were falling into dilapidation and their future was bleak. The Murray family had sold the estate, except for the mausoleum, in 1911. Demolition of the church was approved in 1962 but deferred to 1976. In the winter gales of 1988 the top of the old tower collapsed and shortly thereafter the pepperpot turret also disappeared. It may have been reports of the silver plaque on one of the coffins and other untold riches that encouraged local vandals to smash open the alcoves in the early 1990s and remove the coffins. For many years thereafter the human remains lay strewn about the vault until tidied away some 20 or so years later. Today, 2021, neither the tower nor the adjacent graveyard are looked after.
A – Monuments in the Area South of the Tower
The format of this inventory follows that of previous surveys
- – Each stone is given a unique number that also appears on the plan:
- – The type of stone, whether flat or head:
- – If a headstone, then the shape of the top of the stone (see Calatria volume 10, p.17 for the key):
- -The dimension of the stone starting with the height, then the width and thickness:
- – The inscription:
- – The reference number [in square brackets] used by Mitchell & Mitchell.
1. Cross on a tapering plinth, 1.70 x 0.50 x 0.30m. In memory of/ ANNE MACDONALD/ OF ABERFELDY/ WHO DIED 12TH FEB 1950,/ BELOVED WIFE OF/ WILLIAM GILL/ WHO DIED AT GRANGEMOUTH/ 4TH MAY 1950/ AND THEIR GRANDSON/ ANDREW WILLIAM GILL/ WHO DIED 15TH APRIL 1950,/ INTERRED IN GRANDSABLE CEMETERY [on plinth]. [15]
2. Cross on stepped plinth, 1.25 x 0.65 x 0.15m. (a) THY WILL BE DONE (on cross); (b) IN/ LOVING MEMORY/ OF [on upper step]; (c) CONDUCTOR/ LIVINGSTONE RHA/ — INDIA CO SERVICE)/ — — MBER 17TH 1904 AGED 74 [on lower step]. [16]
3. Cross on stepped base, 0.35+ x 0.40 x 0.14m. ANDREW GRAY./ DIED 10 DEC. 1866/ AGED 61. [17]
4. Low arch, 0.80 x 0.45 x 0.10m. ELIZABETH BAILEY/ 1879-1957/ WIDOW OF/ REV. J. BAILEY/ MANCHESTER [this stone has been moved to the back of the church]. [11]
5. Rectangular, 0.80 x 0.5m. TO THE MEMORY/ OF/ ROBERT BRUCE/ HAMILTON/ WHO DIED 1ST JULY 1950/ AGED 72/ / TILL THE DAY BREAK AND/ THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY. [12]
B – Monuments in the Area Behind the Former Church.
Illus: Dunmore Tower with St Andrew’s Church to the right and the Forth Estuary in the background. The sepulchral monument in the form of a column surmounted by a small cross is No. 15 in the list below. Tucked behind the corner buttress of the church is No. 8.
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6. Celtic cross? On stepped plinth, 1.70+ x 0.97 x 0.55m. THE HON. H.A. MURRAY/ 1810-1865. [2]
7. Shafted cross, 1.10+m. [Broken and fallen face down]
Illus: Monument No. 8 in 2021.
8. Huge sarcophagus with cartouche back, 3.05 x 2.13 x 1.10m. (a) FURTH FORTUNE/ AND FILL/ THE FETTERS [on ribbon]; (b) ANNO ǢTAT 41 [on upper plinth]; (c) SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF/ ALEXANDER EDWARD 6TH EARL OF DUNMORE./ A DUTIFUL AND AFFECTIONATE SON, A WARM-HEARTED AND AFFECTIONATE BROTHER./ A DEVOTED AND AFFECTIONATE HUSBAND AND PARENT/ HE EXPIRED ON THE 15TH JULY 1845, FONDLY ATTACHED TO HIS COUNTRY AND THE HOME OF HIS FATHERS./ UNIVERSALLY AND DEEPLY REGRETTED BY ALL WHO SHARED HIS FRIENDSHIP AND AFFECTION./ “THEM WHICH SLEEP IN JESUS WILL GOD BRING WITH HIM/ WHEREFOR COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS.” [on lower plinth] [1]
9. Discoid top on tapering rectangle, 0.90 x 0.55 x 0.17m. BARTHOLOMEW WATSON/ DIED 20TH JAN 1844/ AGED 82/ FOR 23 YEARS THE FAITHFUL SERVANT OF/ GOERGE/ 5TH EARL OF DUNMORE. [10]
10. Cross on stepped plinth, 0.40+ x 0.32 x 0.32m. (a) GEORGIE/ BORN 3 MAY 1898 [on upper plinth]; (b) THE DEAR CHILD OF/ WILLIAM & JANE STEWART/ “JESUS CALLED A LITTLE CHILD/ UNTO HIM” 26 FEB 1901 [on lower plinth]. [9]
11. Pointed arch, fallen face down, 1.25 x 0.69 x 0.17m. [8 – Erected by Mr and Mrs Hamilton to Thomas White who died 26 October 1897. Daughter Salina Mary White died 14 February 1897].
12. Cross on stepped plinth, 1.55 x 0.51 x 0.38m. (a) CATHERINE D.J. FINNIE/ WIFE OF G.R. STEWART/ BORN 17TH NOVEMBER 1863/ DIED 23RD JUNE 1944. [on east side of cross]; (b) SARAH FINNIE/ BORN 28TH MARCH 1806/ DIED 1ST MARCH 1884 [east side of upper plinth]; (c) PERFECT LOVE CASTETH OUT FEAR/ JOHN IV.18 [on east side of lower plinth]; (d) MARY RUMBOLD/ FINNIE/ BORN 2ND AUGUST 1868/ DIED 21ST MAY 1941 [south side of plinth]; (e) THOMAS JENKINS FINNIE/ BORN 30.8.70/ DIED 17.12.53 [on west side of cross]; (f) ERECTED/ IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE BY/ CHARLES ADOLPHUS VII EARL OF DUNMORE/ SUSAN SOUTHEASK/ CONSTANCE ELPHINSTONE/ ALEXANDER MURRAY [west side of plinth] [6]
13. Celtic cross on tapering plinth, fallen face down. REOVIESCAT [on lower plinth]. [5 – Mary Cath Bedingfeld Collyer born 30 February 1847, died 22 December 1909, wife of Major General John Heron Maxwell Shaw Stewart].
Illus: Monument No. 14.
14. Recumbent cross set on a series of stepped plinths, 1.20 x 3.60 x 2.60m. (a) ALEXANDER EDWARD MURRAY 6TH EARL OF DUNMORE/ BORN JUNE 1ST 1804 DIED JULY 15TH 1845./ HE MARRIED SEPTEMBER 27TH 1836 CATHERINE HERBERT 4TH DAUGHTER/ GEORGE AUGUSTUS 11TH EARL OF PEMBROKE/ CATHERINE HERBERT COUNTESS OF DUNMORE/ BORN 31ST OCTOBER 1814, DIED 12TH FEBRUARY 1886 [on end of central plinth]; (b) WRITE BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD/ THAT THEY MAY REST FROM THEIR LABOURS/ AND THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM/ REVELATION CHAP14 v13— [on top]. [3]
Illus: Monument 15 has a brick cored clad in white limestone slabs and surmounted with a sandstone column. It appears white on the early illustration above.
15. Column on die on stepped plinth, 2.70m+ x 0.80 x 0.75m. (a) IN MEMORY OF/ — 5TH EARL OF DUNMORE/ AND DIED — — 11TH 1836/ — — LOVE ES—-/ GLORIOUS UNDERSTANDING —- –/ A HIGHLY CULTIVATED TASTE/ HE ADDED A GOODNESS/ AND SINGLENNESS OF HEART/ WHO ENDEARED HIM TO EVERY O–/ AND GAVE A PECULIAR CHARM TO ALL THOSE/ —ED HE SO EMINENTLY POSSESS’D/ AS A MAN AND CHRISTIAN/ Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord/ — his last tribute to departe worth is place/ — his sorrowing Widow his inseparable and —-/ companion for above 33 years/ — his grateful and affectionate Children [south plaque broken and displaced]; (b) SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF/ SUSAN HIS WIFE/ SHE POSSESSED ALL HIS VIRTUE/ AND HIS BEST AFFECTIONS/ AS WELL AS THE TENDEREST LOVE OF HER CHILDREN/ SHE NEVER MADE AN ENEMY NOR LOST A FRIEND/ DURING THE WHOLE COURSE/ OF HER TRULY CHRISTIAN LIFE./ AND AS ITS SUNSHINE WAS CONSECRATED/ TO THE SERVICE OF HER GOD./ SO WAS ITS SUNSET GLADDENED BY HIS LOVE/ SHE EXPIRED AT RICHMOND PARK,/ SUNDAY 24TH MAY 1846/ IN THE 72ND YEAR OF HER AGE/ –/
“Precious in the Sight of the Lord/ is the deafh of his saints/” [west side]; (d) “Oft to this spot will memry fondly turn/ And love’s pure flame still unextinguished burn/ Within HER breast who her doth mourn HIS loss/ But nails her sorrows to a Saviour’s cross/ Oh! precious hope by faith to mortals given. That twinings heart which have on earth been riv’n/ May through that same dear Saviour’s pleading love/ Again unite in realms of bliss above.”/ S.D. 1836 [north side]; (e) Lovely and pleasant in their lives/ in their death they were not divided/ 21 Samuel Chap 4-22d [east side] [4]
16. Mitchell and Mitchell recorded a small wooden cross to Michael Towndrow who died 20 August 1949. [7]
C. Inside the Mausoleum.
Illus: The burial vault with the entrance door to the right, c1980.
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The following inscriptions have been read off photographs as the inscribed end stones have now been smashed to pieces and removed.
17. RIGHT HON/ CHARLES AUGUSTUS MURRAY/ KCB/ Son of GEORGE 5th EARL of DUNMORE/ Born Nov. 22nd 1806/ Died June 3d 1895.
18. EDITH ESTHER S—/ WIDOW OF/ THE RT HON/ SIR CHARLES MURRAY KCB/ DIED AT CANNES/ DEC. 2 1906.
19. CECIL HENRY ALEXANDER MURRAY/ Son of/ Hon Sir CHARLES AUGUSTUS MURRAY, P.C.K.C.B./ And his Wife/ —- EDITH SUSAN ESTHER Lady MURRAY/ Born — — 1866, Died 3rd June 1896
20. GERTRUDE/ COUNTESS OF DUNMORE/ WIFE OF/ CHARLES ADOLPHUS./ 7TH EARL OF DUNMORE/ BORN JULY 5 1847,/ DIED NOVEMBER 1943.
St Andrew’s Churchyard, Dunmore (SMR 1444)
Falkirk Local History Society 