I have photographs of the following headstones from the ancient churchyard of Cambusnethan. This was the site of the original, pre-reformation parish church of Cambusnethan. The church was abandoned about 1647 and re-located to Greenhead. (That church now lies in ruins).
All that's left here is the graveyard and it is in the most deplorable condition. The vandals have wrecked it beyond recognition. Beautiful old medieval stones, a huge mausoleum belonging to Lord and Lady Belhaven, the burial vaults of the Steuarts of Coltness and the Lockharts of Castlehill, have all either been demolished or vandalised. The biggest culprit was the former local authority - the Burgh of Motherwell & Wishaw back in the 1960s. A bulldozer was sent down to clear away about a quarter of the stones in order that an Orange parade could march to the Covenanter's grave. (This has now disappeared).
Monumental Inscriptions were transcribed by a Mr Brownlee about 1974, they have never been published but a copy is with the Scottish Genealogy Society in Edinburgh. Other people may have made transcriptions but the 1974 ones will be way more accurate as the vandals hadn't honed their skills so well then.
To reach this burial ground is not easy! It is at the very end of Kirkhill Road in Netherton and can only be accessed on foot, down a steep hill. I had to climb over a waist-high gate, so be warned.
Anyone who wants a photograph please send your email address by PM.
ADDISON of Banffshire.
BELL & GOURLIE.
BINNIE & SOMMERVILLE.
BROWNLEE & FRENCH.
BROWNLIE & FERGUSON.
BROWNLIE & NEILSON.
BROWNLIE & NISBET.
BROWNLIE & RUSSELL.
DOBIE, JOHNSTON, INGLIS, MURRAY & WHARRIE.
FORREST. Freemason.
GILCHRIST & GOURLIE.
GOURLIE & PRENTICE.
GRAY.
HAMILTON & ADDIE.
HAMILTON & McALPINE.
HAMILTON, BARRIE, FRAME & THOMSON.
INGLIS & DUNCAN.
KENNEDY & SMELLIE.
LAWRIE & TROTTER.
LEGGATE, CAMERON, CRANSTON & MACKIE.
LIVINGSTON & McGRIGOR.
LOTHIAN, LANG & PEARSTON.
LOTHIAN & VEITCH.
LOUDON.
LOUDON & THOMSON.
MARSHALL & SCOTT.
MARSHALL & SOMMERVILLE.
McKINNON, SMITH & SMELLIE.
MONRO, GIBSON & ALEXANDER.
NELSON, STODDART & MIDDLETON.
NICOL & BROWNLEE.
NIVEN.
PATERSON & JACKSON.
PEARSON.
REID & PATERSON.
REID & TORRANCE.
ROBERTSON & STEEL.
SOMMERVILLE, RUSSELL & BAILEY.
WATT, Margaret, servant to Lord & Lady Belhaven.
WILLIAMSON.
WILLIAMSON & BURN.
YEATS of Gowkthrapple.