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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Northumberland => Topic started by: BassinghamTerrier on Saturday 26 July 08 12:35 BST (UK)
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Hi
I've just got back from visiting some of the wife's childhood holiday spots in Northumberland, and during that time we paid a visit to Lindisfarne. Whilst scrubbing around the churchyard I came across the headstone below, which I photographed simply because it looked interesting.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y254/terrierfan/HolyIslandheadstone.jpg)
I think the inscription reads as follows ...
Here / Lies the body of / Alexander Nicolson / who being ten years ?? / ?? of the Gospel in / Holy Island departed / this life the 31 day of Au / gust 1711 and his age ??[/size]
Can anyone put me right on any of the above?
I hope that this will be of use to someone.
MT ;)
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Interesting that the tombstone should have a jolly rodger on it. In 1711 the jolly roger was a symbol of a pirate ship. This particular one looks like the one Edward England used.
Janis
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Well considering the date it wasn't related to piracy.......I remember reading somewhere that it was a common symbol of death put on grave markers.....something to do with the crucification of Christ.
mab
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Could be but hard to find the symbol categorized as used much outside of a pirate ship. Nowdays it is a symbol for poison. There was piracy at that time period and still is today.
Janis
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Skulls and crossbones were quite commonly used as reminders of mortality on old headstones. They have no connection with piracy - unless shown on a flag of course - but are simply memento mori. There are several other reminders of mortality seen on headstones, including angels writing in record books , hourglasses or, as in the example attached, a winged hourglass denoting the fleeting nature of time.
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Your website is interesting...will have to have a look around ;D
mab
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Interesting photos.
There are some links here to topics about gravestone carvings and their meanings:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/045l/
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This may appear to be off the subject, but it isn't really. I was in Escomb Churchyard in County Durham yesterday - about 2 miles west of Bishop Auckland and well worth a visit by any Family/Local Historian - and was surprised to see an Emoticon javascript:replaceText('%20:P',%20document.postmodify.message);on a very old headstone. The carving still represented the traditional skull and crossbones but was sculpted in a very idiosyncratic way and - aided by a certain amount of weathering - looked strangely modern. I think anyone seeing it in its rather sombre setting would be obliged to do a double take.
The very informative booklet available in the Church says that "The skull and thighbones were reckoned, by medieval theologians, to be a desirable minimum from which the angel Gabriel could constitute our resurrection bodies on the day of Judgement." So now we know!
PatB
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That is bizarre :D
Also, thank you for the information.
mab
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Hi, have a look at this site, it does relate to Alexander Nicolson - found that the stone translates Minister of the Gospel - overlapped again from the previous line above.
Search in the below link for Alexander, his surname is spealt with an 'h' as Nicholson.
http://www.ndfhs.co.uk/Articles/Wills/Wills5.html
My mum and dad recently went to the same stone and we have been trying to translate this - so happy to find you were doing the same one year ago.
Now we are trying to word what is written below the skull/bones, which may be his age on death.
Interesting detective work this !
Rgds
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Using my x-ray vision , the stone reads.......
" Here lyeth the Body of Mr Alexander Nicolson who being 10 years Minister of the Gospel in Holy Island Departed this life the 31st day of August 1711 and his age 65 "
Just kidding about my eyesight... got the above from H.I. transcriptions in Newcastle Library this pm.
Also there is a "footnote" to the above M.I. transciption which just reads
" Raines North Durham" ??? name of Monumental sculptor ?? ( Holy Island Parish and neighbouring parishes comprised an area called Islandshire- Islandshire, Norhamshire and Bedlingtonshire, although lying within the bounds of Northumberland, were part of County Durham and collectively known as North Durham- until 1844)
From the H I burial records.
Buried 4 Sep 1711 Mr Alexander Nicholson, Minister in Holy Island
Michael Dixon