Spitalhaugh 2

Another picture of the entry to the Spitalhaugh Burial Enclosure and as you can the original spelling seems to have been Spittlehaugh. The spelling varies from one gravestone to the other and as seen directly below even on one and the same stone.

This is the main gravestone in this enclosure and also the oldest one. As you can see from the previous post Helen Hamilton Ranken has two monuments to her name. This, the original one, explains just how important her position was as the heiress of a large estate (Spitalhaugh) which through her, came to her husband Sir William Fergusson.

Here is the full text:

Here lie the remains

of

Helen Hamilton Ranken

heiress of Spittlehaugh

and spouse of

William Fergusson

Professor of Surgery

in King's College, London

born in Edinburgh 12th March 1806

died in London 19th June 1861

and of

Charles Hamilton of Spitalhaugh

great-grand father of the above

4th son of John Hamilton of Gilkersgleugh

Lanarkshire, born 1696, died in August 1776

Jean Ramsay his spouse, daughter

of Andrew Ramsay of Abbotshall, Fifeshire

born 1714, died 11st Sept. 1797

Andrew Hamilton of Spitalhaugh

born 25th October 1753, died 3rd May 1807

Katherine Hamilton

born 18th May 1742, died 4th Oct. 1816

Jean Hamilton

born 20th July 1743, died May 1804

and four other daughers who died young

Barbara, Elizabeth, Charles

and Henrietta.

This seems to say one of the daughers who died young was called Charles, normally a boy's name.

Louisa

beloved wife of

Sir James R. Fergusson Bar't of Spitalhaugh (see next stone)

and daughter of

William Forbes Esq. of Medwyn

b. 1845, m. 1877, d. 1878

A very short marriage indeed!

This stone reads:

In Memory of

Sir James Ranken Fergusson

2nd Baronet of Spitalhaugh

born 10 August 1835 died 28 October 1924

"After life's fitful fever he sleeps well"

There is still more to see in this enclosure and that will come in the next post.