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

APPENDIX. — No. VI. 333
1672 petatis suae 77. In hac Urna simul cum eo recubant prior ejus Uxor Helena
Lindesay ac decern eorum liberi placuit hie inscribere anagramrna a Seipso corn-
posituni
Magistro Davidi Carnegy
anagramma
Grandis Jesu due me gratia
distichon
Dum digo in terris expectans Gaudia coeli
Me ducat semper tua Gratia Grandis Jesu."
Tablets bearing the following inscriptions are in tbe family burial-place of
Balmadies. This Cemetery is near the Aldbar Kailway Station, is called
Chapel-yard, and the door lintel bears "ANO. MDCLXIX." From this period,
till 1849, a complete record of the lairds and ladies of Balmadies can be gleaned
from the tombstones : —
" Mrs Margaret Lindsay daughter to Sir Alexander Lindsay of Evliek first
married to the laird of Findourie and thereafter to James Piersone of Balmadies to
whom she bore seven sons she died about the 56 year of her age on the 11 or 12 of
May 1714 and here interred on the 18 a virtueus and religious lady — Me mento
mori."
"Mrs Elizabeth Arbuthnot sister German to the present laird of Findourie
died of a deceiy about the 18 year of her age a beautiful virtuous and religious
young lady and was here interred some years before her mothers death — Me mento
mori."*
No. VI.— Page 181.
Extracts from Petition and Complaint of Mr. George Tytler, Minister of Feme, to
the Heritors of the Parish, against John Dildarg, Schoolmaster. — January
15, 1778.
It appears that John Dildarg was appointed schoolmaster of Feme, pro tem-
pore, about 1763-4. According to Mr. Tytler's complaint, he was so unqualified for
the office of precentor that " singing psalms was like to wear out of the church,"
and he became so turbulent that no person would " entertain him as a lodger." He
also intermeddled with the minister's affairs, and threatened " law processes against
him " — tried to detract from his character, and " weaken his hands in the exercise
of his ministry," &c. But the more immediate cause of the quarrel betwixt him and
the minister, which will be sufficiently explained by the following curious extracts,
arose from Dildarg propagating the doctrine of the " unlawfulness of eating blood."
" Lifted up," as the Complaint bears, " with a conceit of his own knowledge," the
schoolmaster wrote a discourse on the subject of blood-eating, and tried to make
proselytes of all and sundry. The complaint proceeds thus : —
" That he carried the point of blood-eating so far, that he attempted, not in a
private, but in a very public manner, even in the presence of minister, elders, and
communicants (among which last he thought he had formed a party), anent admis-
sion to the Lord's Table, to get it enacted that none should be received into com-
* There is an account of the expenses of this young lady's funeral among the Findowrie
Papers. It contains many curious items well worthy preservation, but want of space compels
us to omit it. The total cost amounted to £332 10s. 4d. Scots, or £27 14s. 2Jd.