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Summary

Description

The churchyard or burial ground at Monzie has a rubble-walled enclosure, with a retaining wall to the roadside. It contains a representative collection of 19^th century grave markers of relatively modest scale and carved detail, and a few earlier stones of note. A small Campbell burial enclosure, set adjacent to Monzie Parish Church, contains at least one monument dating from the mid-17^th century. Elsewhere within Monzie Churchyard is a very uncommon dual-language stone (dated 1793) with a Gaelic inscription on the front and an English translation of the reverse. Other 18^th century stones within the churchyard include the carved headstones of Andrew Mathie (dated 1754) and Neil McAra (dated 1779).

Historical background

The development of the churchyard at Monzie is directly associated with the development of the parish. The present church (LB5773) within the churchyard was built to the designs of William Stirling in 1830. It is located on or near the site of an earlier parish church of 1685 which may in turn have incorporated fabric from a church of 13^th century origin. The footprint of the church and churchyard remain largely unchanged from that shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1863. The present church remains in use on an occasional basis, following the union of the congregations of Fowlis Wester, Gask, Madderty and Monzie churches in 2018 (2023).

Statement of Special Interest

Monzie Churchyard meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

• The churchyard contains a good collection of 19^th century grave markers, with some 17^th and 18^th century stones and burial markers of note including a rare dual-language burial marker (dated 1793) with a Gaelic inscription on the front and an English translation on the reverse.
• The setting of the churchyard is largely unaltered and retains much of its 18^th and 19^th century fabric and appearance.
• The churchyard is part of a wider group of historic buildings that form the ecclesiastical centre of the small settlement of Monzie.

Architectural interest

The churchyard at Monzie is a component of a wider group of historic buildings including the church, churchyard gates and manse that form the ecclesiastical centre of the small settlement of Monzie, Perthshire.

The level of symbolism and carved detail on lowland Scottish burial stones reached a peak during the late 18th century. The late 18^th century burial marker with dual language inscription at Monzie Churchyard is relatively modest in terms of its carved detail and level of craftsmanship for its date.

The setting is largely unaltered and retains much of its predominantly 19th century character. Collectively, the churchyard and burial markers at Monzie Churchyard are good representative examples of their building type that group well with the wider listed buildings at the site.

Historic interest

Scottish Gaelic declined in use during the 18^th and 19^th centuries due to migration, changes to educational policy and a lack of Gaelic-speaking clergy. English was favoured for certain social purposes during the 18^th century, such as the carving of gravestone inscriptions, even in areas where Gaelic was the predominant language. Gaelic inscriptions are uncommon on gravestones throughout Scotland.

The dedication on the dual language burial marker at Monzie Churchyard is therefore a rarity. A version of the Clan MacGregor motto 'Even do and Spare Not' is inscribed in Gaelic across the head of the stone. The unusual spelling of the motto has been interpreted as an indication of Perthshire Gaelic dialect traits (information courtesy of a member of the public).

Burial markers within parish churchyards, as with those found at Monzie, are of social historical interest as they provide insights into early religious views, funerary art, economic and social structures, occupations, folklore, local dialects and etymology, and ethnic compositions.

References

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