Building record MAB22619 - TOLQUHON TOMB, ST MURDEBARS, TARVES

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Summary

Tomb and remains of church.

Protected Status/Designation

  • Scheduled Monument 90296

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred NJ 8690 3117 (40m by 40m) Centred at - Polygon: Known Site Extent
Map sheet NJ83SE
Authority Aberdeenshire
Civil Parish Tarves

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

Tomb and remains of church. The church was said to have been dedicated to St Englatius, a fictituous person whose name has been compounded from the Gaelic word 'oenglais' (choice brook). According to the 'Martyrology of Oenus' the Celtic founder of the church was St Murdebur or Muirdebar, who came from Leinster circa 600AD. The Medieval church wall survives in the churchyard. The Tolquhon tomb was erected in 1589 to the memory of William Forbes and his wife Elizabeth Gordon. Built in an unusually imaginative way, it shows the free use of both Medieval and Classical ornament which was characteristic of the later 16th century in Scotland. The overall scheme is medieval but most of the detail echoes classical motifs. The arms and initials of William Forbes (died 1596) and his wife Elizabeth Gordon are in the upper corners of the tomb. The stones in the kirkyard include one of 1583 to the Craig family. A number of 17th century gravestones lie at the west end of the south wall of the present church (NJ83SE0043).

Period Notes
Tomb erected 1589.


ABD/322/1, ABD/322/1 (Ground Photograph). SAB14651.

SCOTT, H., 1915-2000, FASTI ECCLESIAE SCOTICANAE, 230 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1621.

WATSON, WJ, 1926, CELTIC PLACE NAMES OF SCOTLAND, 318-20 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2004.

SIMPSON, WD, 1946, PSAS 80(1945-6) 117-27, 12-13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1679.

SHEPHERD, I, 1996, ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED), p. 118-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4829.

Aug 6 1984 , BN 32-36, BN 32-36 (Ground Photograph). SAB14652.

Feb 20 2009 , DG 26-28, 32-36, DG 26-28, 32-36 (Ground Photograph). SAB19944.

Jan 1 1976 , AAS/GR/76/CT140,146, AAS/GR/76/CT140,146 (Ground Photograph). SAB32450.

STOKES, W, n.d., MARTYROLOGY OF EONGUS (Bibliographic reference). SAB1798.

Other Statuses/References

  • Authority: ASH;
  • HES Scheduled Monument Number: 90296;
  • Local Government Guardianship;
  • NMR Card Number: NJ83SE32;
  • NRHE Numlink: 19831;
  • Old Historic Environment Record Ref: NJ83SE0030;

External Links (2)

Sources/Archives (9)

  • --- Ground Photograph: ABD/322/1. Black & White. ABD/322/1.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Aug 6 1984 . BN 32-36. Black & White. BN 32-36.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: SCOTT, H.. 1915-2000. FASTI ECCLESIAE SCOTICANAE. Y. 230.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: SIMPSON, WD. 1946. PSAS 80(1945-6) 117-27. 12-13.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: STOKES, W. n.d.. MARTYROLOGY OF EONGUS. Y.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Feb 20 2009 . DG 26-28, 32-36. DG. DG 26-28, 32-36.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: WATSON, WJ. 1926. CELTIC PLACE NAMES OF SCOTLAND. N. 318-20.
  • --- Ground Photograph: Jan 1 1976 . AAS/GR/76/CT140,146. Colour Transparency. AAS/GR/76/CT140,146.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: SHEPHERD, I. 1996. ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED). p. 118-9.

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

May 6 2025 10:00AM

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