History and traditions of the land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns

244 LAND OF THE LINDSAYS.
building was erected, and " a skull was found with a band, or fillet,
of silver-lace around it, with stripes of the same covering from
the fillet to the crown of the head. The silver is supposed to be
the remains of a skull-cap, and appeared to have been plaited
with hair. In the progress of decay, it had come to adhere
closely to the bone."*
There is no monument, however, either belonging to the
Collaces, the Lindsays of Balhall, the Symerses of Balzordie, or
the Livingstons of Balrownie, all of whom were long proprietors
in the parish ; but the following quaint lines for the tombstone
of John Symers, were written by a local Latin poet of the name
of Leech, who will be noticed shortly : —
" Joannis Simmer (quod cestate/n Anglice sonat) a Balyordie, tumulus,
Regnat hyems, sestas fuerat ; miracula non sunt,
JEstas si bruma iam subeunte, perit."f
The burial place of the Carnegys, who succeeded the Col-
laces in Balnamoon, is attached to the north side of the church,
and enclosed by a high wall, with a massive moulding round the
top. On the left of the door, there is a beautiful sculpture of the
armorial bearings of the first laird of the name, Sir Alexander,
impaled with those of his lady, Dame Giles, eldest daughter of
Alexander Blair of Balthyock, with the date 1639, and their
respective initials, " S. A. C : D. G. B." As Sir Alexander
survived long after this period, the date, perhaps, refers to the
time of his lady's death, and the erection of the aisle.
Though no monument marks the graves of the Carnegys,
(except a marble recently raised to the memory of three of the
present laird's family), the graveyard contains an abundance of
mortuary memorials, but few of these possess any general in-
terest. Perhaps the most remarkable (taking into account the
humble position in life from which the erector has risen to
eminence), is that raised by " Colonel David Lcighton, C.B.,
Adjutant-General at the Presidency of Bombay, in memory of
his parents, Thomas Leighton and Ann Fairweather." Since
the erection of this in 1825, the Colonel has risen to the rank of
Lieutenant-General ; and, for his meritorious services in India,
where he was esteemed for the justice and impartiality of his
* Mr. Chalmers' Sculptured Monuments of Angus, p. 13. t Fpigrammata, p. 59.