Grampian Club > Leaves from my autography

LEAVES FROM MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 329
to be an iindrained marsh, in which every new-made
grave was filled with water.
Returns from many rural parishes also contained
revolting details. In the churchyard of Gamrie,
overlooking the Moray Firth, the clergyman reported
that human bones, fragments of coffins, and portions
of gravestones were strewn about. At New Machar,
Aberdeenshire, the peasantry obtained winter fuel
by storing up portions of decayed coffins from the
village churchyard. The parish schoolmaster of
Ellon communicated that he had lately been obliged
to cease teaching, owing to his schoolroom, which
adjoined the churchyard, being saturated with the
exhalations of mortality. At Kirkintilloch, Stirling-
shire, the churchyard, which occupied the centre of
the village, was surrounded with dwelling-houses,
against the walls of which the soil rested to the
height of about five feet. Not a single rural church-
yard, respecting which I obtained returns, was
levelled or properly enclosed ; while in each many
of the older tombstones were broken, or covered
with soil, or used as pavement. Churchyards in
upland districts were grazed by cattle, or used as
sheep-walks.
In my schedule adcbessed to the parochial clergy
I intimated an intention of producing a report, at
the price of five shillings. Not long afterwards it
was stated in a hostile newspaper that " Dr Rogers
having plundered the public of many sums of 7s. 6d.