stirling-1963-vol-1/05_181

Transcription

No. 137 -- ECCLESIASTICAL MONUMENTS -- No. 137
with the inscription THE LORD IS MY TRUIST, all in
raised letters. Above the doorway is a moulded panel
containing the Bruce arms with raised letters S I B
over it; the moulded surround appears to be old but the
shield and letters seem to be of comparatively recent
date. On the W. skewput of the gable, which is crow-
stepped, occur again the initials S I B and D M R in
raised letters, and the E. one bears the date 1614, which
probably represents the date when the aisle was built. On
two stones at the NW. angle of the gable wall and about
3 ft. from the ground are to be seen at least three crudely
incised representations of human figures, somewhat
similar to the one on the standing stone at Knockraich
(No. 60) but executed in a double line. The left-hand
figure is about 7 in. high and the right-hand one, which
has disproportionately long legs, measures 1 ft. 2 in. and
has traces of initial letters, probably A E, one on each
side of the head. The fact that the legs of the second
figure are extended over the lower stone indicates that
the work was done after the erection of the aisle.

ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS OF THE 17TH CENTURY.
The portion of the church lying E. of the Bruce and
Airth Aisles (Pl. 33 A) was presumably added in 1647,
the date that appears on the tower. As has been said,
it represents not only an enlargement of the structure
but its reorganisation to suit the requirements of con-
temporary Presbyterian worship. Thus there is evidence
to show (infra) that the pulpit was placed in the centre
of the S. wall, and that ample space was provided in
galleries for a congregation primarily concerned with
listening to sermons. The tower stands in the angle
between the Airth Aisle and the S. wall of the new
eastern extension. It is a lofty square structure, divided
into four diminishing stages by cavetto-moulded string-
courses, and terminates one course above the topmost
string in a moulded eaves-course and a pyramidal slated
roof with a small dormer light on each side. Each wall
of the top stage is lighted by a round-headed window
which, in common with all the other openings of this
later work, is treated with a hollow-chamfered and
backset margin. The ground-floor compartment serves
as an entrance porch and contains a stone bench on either
side of the passageway formed by the doorways set
respectively in the S. and N. walls. Over the lintel of
the outer doorway appears the inscription IVLY THE
15 1647. On the first floor there are two further door-
ways, one central in the N. wall and the other near the
N. end of the E. wall. The second must have been
reached by an external flight of wooden steps, and no
doubt they jointly provided access for the minister to a
pulpit set well above the congregation. On this showing
the first-floor room in the tower might have served as a
vestry. One jamb of a small window, perhaps only a slit,
which can be seen by the NW. corner of the tower,
suggests that there was an access here to the Airth Aisle,
for which lighting was needed. Also at first-floor level,
on the SE. corner of the tower, there is a badly weathered
sundial which still retains its gnomon.
The S. wall of the church, extending eastwards from
the tower, contains two square-headed windows now
blocked up. Built externally into the westernmost one
is a carved panel measuring 1 ft. 8 in. by 2 ft. with the
date 1630 and the initials PH and KM all in boldly-cut
raised letters. Between the windows at ground level
occurs a segmental-arched tomb-recess, which is open
to the exterior, and has the initials P H I C roughly
incised on its keystone. The occurrence of these initials
at Neuck (No. 303) indicates that both these inscriptions
commemorate members of the Higgins family. The E.
wall of the church, which stands to gable height, has at
its base a splayed plinth, now concealed, and a stone
ledge or bench, slightly above it, which is shown on the
plan. It originally contained, in the centre, two windows
vertically disposed, the upper one having a round head.
The latter remains intact, but the former has been cut
down to form a doorway, and a stone transom has been
inserted. This wall continues northwards to form the E.
end of the N. aisle, and this is lighted by a window also
having a semicircular head. The N. aisle consists of
three bays, spanned by semicircular arches with splayed
arrises, supported on square piers, having moulded
capitals and splayed and stopped arrises (Pl. 33 A).
The W. wall of the nave, which is approximately of
the same date as the E. extension, has a central square-
headed doorway with rounded arrises extended above as
a tall, rectangular window. To the N. of the doorway is a
small square window, while on the opposite side, and
situated at a higher level, is a doorway which must
formerly have given external access to a gallery, by means
of a short flight of stone steps which survive in part.
Both these latter openings have chamfered arrises. There
are the remains of a similar gallery-door in the N. wall
of the nave close to the NW. angle, and at the SE. corner
of the church stands an external stair giving access to
another gallery or laird's loft. These accesses, combined
with a scarcement on the face of the E. gable and holes
for timbers within the openings of the N. aisle-arcade,
indicate that gallery accommodation was provided at
both ends of the church and in the N. aisle. The upper
floors of the burial aisles were no doubt also used by the
families to whom they belonged.

EFFIGY AND CARVED DETAILS. A recumbent effigy of
considerable interest (Pl. 45) lies within the round-
arched recess in the S. wall of the Airth Aisle. The effigy
measures 6 ft. 3 in. in length by 1 ft. 10 in. in breadth
and is carved in sandstone. It is now greatly worn, and
has at some time been broken into two pieces at the waist
and subsequently joined together again with cement. The
figure is that of a woman, who is represented as lying on
a couch with the head resting on a cushion. She wears a
veiled head-dress, which is held back from the forehead
by two spherical-headed pins, and a closely fitted dress
which leaves the neck bare. The hands are placed
together over the breast as in prayer. A coverlet or
blanket, which is folded over at the waist, completely
covers the lower half of the figure, while a small dog
crouches on top of the coverlet at each side of the feet.
The coverlet would appear to be a unique feature among

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