BIRSE KIRKYARD

BIRSE KIRKYARD

The GLASS stone is impossible to read these days; it is flat (behind the standing stone) and over the years the top layer of sandstone has crumbled away. All that is visible now is "Glafs 1797" in the top right hand corner

From Upper Deeside Monumental Inscriptions Pre 1855:

"DONALD GLASS, late tenant Forest of Birse, died 5th March 1797 aged 71 years. Wife HELEN OGILVIE died 12th March 1801 aged 59 years. Son JAMES GLASS died (7) January 1804 aged 25 years. ........... CHARLES, JOHN, ANN & MARTHA GLASS. JAMES GLASS died 25th October 1883 aged 75 years; CHARLOTTE SAMSON died Baloghan [Ballochan] 1st July 1914 aged 63 years, husband JOHN GLASS died Baloghan [Ballochan] ----- 1926 aged 79 years; BEN GLASS died 1st April 1925 aged 40 years; ANN MILNE (husband JOHN GLASS) died Persie July 1922 aged 36 years.

The standing stone reads:

Er by JAMES GLASS, Deecastle, Dinnet, late of Ballochan and Glencatt in memory of his wife JANE ANN SMITH died 10th July 1953 aged 74, daughter CATHERINE died 14 December 1930 aged 21 years, son BENJAMIN died 11th June 1942 aged 30 years. Above JAMES W GLASS died 18th May 1959 aged 78.

GLASS

Other GLASS stones:

Er. by JANET CATTANACH to memory of her son DAVID died 25th April 1839 aged 20; her husband JOHN GLASS late farmer in Heughhead of Loggie [Logie] Coldstone died 3 August 1839 aged 63. His wife JANET CATTANACH died Heughhead 5 April 1856 aged 70; their son CHARLES GLASS V.S. d. 7 Feb 1891 aged 67; their son FREDERICK GLASS M.R.C.V.S. died Royal Hospital Aberdeen 28th December 1910 aged 57
Er. by ANNIE ROBERTSON late of Percie in memory of her husband JOHN E. GLASS d. Balnahard, Finzean 3 August 1948 aged 66; her daughter ETHEL ELIZABETH ROBERTSON ALEXANDER d. at Peterhead 12 April 1912 aged 5. Said ANNIE ROBERTSON died Aberdeen 5 January 1950 aged 75 years.
War Grave - S/24480 Private J SAMSON Gordon Highlanders 18 July 1918

1878 Erected by GEORGE COUTTS farmer South Australia in memory of his beloved parents JOHN COUTTS late farmer Easter Tillygarmont died October 1855 aged 62 and ISABELLA McCONDACH his wife died January 1867 aged 71. Their children: ANDREW died 1827 aged 9, JOHN died 1837 aged 21, JAMES died 1842 aged 18, ROBERT died 1860 aged 30. The children of DAVID COUTTS: DAVID d. 1878 aged 9, WILLIAMINA died 1879 aged 4.

Note: George and David Coutts married two Harper sisters (Mary Alison and Isabella respectively). They were the daughters of Francis Harper and Agnes Coutts in Balnahard, Birse.

George and David migrated to Australia with their families and settled in South Australia and Victoria respectively.

COUTTS

MISCELLANEOUS INSCRIPTIONS

Erected by AGNES HARPER GILL Balnahard Cottage, Finzean in memory of her parents WILLIAM GILL died 10 September 1903 and FANNY HARPER or GILL died 18 December 1925. Her brother CHARLIE died 8 December 1891. Above AGNES HARPER GILL died 30 December 1943; MATILDA GILL or WALKER widow of JOHN WALKER Aboyne died 6 January 1953.
In loving memory of my dear husband FRANCIS HARPER farmer died Balnahard, Finzean 17 October 1928 aged 62.
In memory of FRANCIS HARPER Balnahard died 1 November 1916 aged 78; his wife ISABELLA COUTTS died 12 December 1924 aged 82. Their daughter GEORGINA died 1881 in infancy. Bottom: Erected by their family.
Erected by FRANCIS LOW Easter Clune in memory of his father and mother FRANCIS LOW died 16 June 1826 aged 61, MARGARET ROSS died 27 July 1853 aged 77. His son ROBERT died 12 May 1875 aged 23. Above FRANCIS LOW died 25 August 1879 aged 70 his wife MARGARET MORTIMER died 4 December 1883 aged 66. Their grandchild JEANNIE born 21 August 1904 died 15 January 1907. FRANCIS LOW son of above died 16 October 1922 aged 72; his wife JESSIE ANN HARPER died 6 September 1953 aged 86.
Erected in memory of ROBERT DINNIE born Allancreigh 1808 died Wood Cottage in the parish of Aboyne 1891. His spouse CELIA HAY born Kirktown of Echt 1810 died Wood Cottage in parish of Aboyne 1891 married 1833 and had family as follows: SARAH born 1834 died 11 May 1919, BARBARA born 1835 died 23 July 1920, DONALD born 1837 died 2 April 1916, EDMUND born 1840 died 4 January 1900, MONTAGUE born 1842 died 26 January 1925, LUBIN born 1844 died 6 May 1922, CLARINDA born 1846 died 4 March 1927, DIGBY born 1849 died 22 December 1928, WALTER born 1851 died 7 may 1923, NORY CELIA born 1855 died 17 May 1941.
Here lies interred the mortal remains of PETER GREWAR late tenant in the Forest of Birse departed 1 April 1811 aged 78 and of JANNET SANDYSEN his spouse died 12 December 1822 aged 74. Also two of their daughters viz JEAN died in 1795 aged 16 and ISOBEL died in 1815 aged 39.
This stone was erected to their memory in 1823 at the joint expense of the then existing family namely GEORGE PETER ALEXANDER & ANN GREWARS. ANN GREWAR their daughter died July 1850 aged 78, GEORGE GREWAR died Whitestones Birse 15 March 1900 aged 81, JESSIE GREWAR died Whitestone, Birse 19 January 1910 aged 77.
Here is interred the remains of JEAN BIRSS spouse to SHAW CATTANACH in the Forest of Birse died 28 October 1809 aged 55; son ARCHIBALD died 13 January 1809 aged 16. Said SHAW CATTANACH died 20 April 1842 aged 90; son ALEXANDER died October 1836 aged 36, his wife JEAN CATTANACH died 16 September 1881 aged 80.
Erected by his family in memory of GEORGE SANDISON late of Auchabrach Forest of Birse died 26 February 1910 aged 50; his wife ELESPET BIRSS died 31 August 1941 aged 84. His daughters ISABELLA died 7 June 1905 aged 2, HELEN died 18 may 1909 aged 18, son GEORGE K SANDISON died Ravelston Canada 17 December 1917 aged 38, son JAMES died 16 August 1935 aged 32. Grandson JOHN E SANDISON died 23 March 1925 aged 17, ALEXANDER FRASER died 2 February 1934 aged 56
1868 Erected by JOSEPH FENTON Forest of Birse in memory of children JANE died 26 October 1837 aged 11, JOSEPH died 21 September 1847 aged 27; MARGARET died 6 November 1867 aged 44. His wife MARGARET ANDERSON died 4 November 1874 aged 78, said JOSEPH FENTON died 18 April 1879 aged 88. DAVID W.E. KERR died Burnfoot 10 July 1884 aged 12 years 5 months. Two lines of text.
Flat: Here are interred the bodies of DUNCAN GRANT late tenant in Forest of Birse died in 1787 aged 78. Also ELSPET McGRIGOR his spouse died in 1821 aged 80. Likewise four of their children, viz, two of them named JOHN who died in infancy, DONALD in 1783 aged 50 and ALEXANDER died in 1808 aged 47.