Hi Chris,
Just found another 'Brice' in the pre-1855 MI's. This one is as follows:
C B J R
Cornelius Brice 26.2.1777 53, s Corn? 13m, da Margt 12
Translated:
(Probably) Cornelius Brice and his wife J R
Cornelius Brice died 26th February 1777 aged 53, son Cornelius (the question mark meaning the stone was hard to read) died aged 13 months, daughter Margaret died aged 12.
Translation of the ones Dano sent you:
No: 86
Grey Granite Stone with the name BRYCE either at the top or on the base
Allan Bryce in Blackston died 13.5.1852
Wife Margaret Calder died 23.4.1884
Children, Elizabeth died 7.2.1840
Margaret died 15.6.1847
Margaret died 23.02.1879
Cornelius died 22.05.1890
Andrew died 23.12.1895
No: 87
Stone restored in 1877 by William Bryce, Engine Driver N.B. Railway (This must be the inscription across the top of the stone)
(On the east side)
1732
Father William Bryce died 2.2.1878
Mother Margaret bell died 23.1.1880 aged 77
J - A B
(On the west side)
G B M B
There are a good few stones in this churchyard which have just one or two sets of initials like the C B J R above but I doubt if there's any way of finding out who these people were. I'm afraid Polmont churchyard is like this also.
Some of the 'initials' stones have dates which might or might not tie in with dates you have already, it would depend on tying together the two names and if the date had a significant meaning. Sometimes the date on these refers to when the lair was purchased rather than the date of someone's death.
Here are the ones containing a 'B' as a surname with a date (in Muiravonside)
D (I or J) + J B 1782
J D + B B J D + E M 1846
Just in case you were't sure of the transcription (in Polmont) Dano sent, here's a translation:
No: 276
The description of the stone tells us that it's obviously a tall stone topped with an urn of some sorts.
Richard Ballantyne born 3.4.1834 died 13.8.1881
Wife Marion Dick died 17.9.1885 aged 51
Son Andrew died 12.8.1877 aged 7 years 4 months
Eldest son John died 4.3.1899 aged 35
Janet Bryce (widow of eldest son John) died 16.7.1921 aged 60
2nd Son Alexander died 5.10.1912 aged 45
3rd Son James died 29.1.1922 aged 53
Mary Brown (wife of 3rd son James) died 16.12.1951 aged 79
I'll attach two photos of a Polmont stone (front and top) so you know 'what I'm on about' when I'm taking about 'initial' stones. This one contains a 'B' - so you never know!!
Anne