St Drostan's of Aberdour and Baird burials

Introduction

It has been recorded some time after 300 B.C, a Druid community lived around Aberdour where they held their annual festivals and ceremonies, until St Columba arrived in Scotland from Ireland, where his nephew St Drostan established himself as a missionary at the Aberdour site, near to "Fairy Hill" where the ancient stones indicate an earlier settlement. St Drostan used the pure spring water to baptise local people and was famed for his miracle cures, this spring became known as St Drostan's Well.

The only recorded Castle was Dundarg which the remnants are located on a spectacular cliff top near Aberdour Bay. Dun Dearg (The Red Fort) was probably a Pictish fort before becoming a Celtic monastery of St Drostan. It was first destroyed by Robert the Bruce in 1308. It was then rebuilt, then damaged again in the 16th century during the War of Rough Wooing when the English tried to force a marriage between Mary, Queen of Scots and King Edward V1.

Also a little to the north west of Auchmedden on a promontory above the bay lies the remains of the Bronze Age Fortress, Fort Fiddes which dates back before 700 B.C. (If you are interested in reading more on the history of Aberdour there is a very good summary compiled by Greg Dawson Allen).

The Old Church of Aberdour

The Old Church of Aberdour (St Drostan's) is situated on the right bank of the Dour Burn about 150 metres from the foreshore. Its ruinous fabric is deceptive, hiding a building reputed to be one of the oldest churches in the North of Scotland. Originally a single room structure, typical of Scottish medieval designs. The kirkyard contains many interesting headstones the oldest legible inscription it has been suggested is -- Baird 1433 and his spouse 1440. The Chancel is walled off as the burial ground of the Bairds of Auchmedden.

The following is an extract from Epitaphs and Inscriptions by: Andrew Jervise 1875. In which he outlines the burial inscriptions and different families interred within the old ruins of the Church yard.
"The ruins of the old church of Aberdovyr are picturesquely situated within the burial ground, which overlooks the romantic den and bay of Aberdour. Mess John's Well springs from a rock on the left side bay, and S. Drostan's Well is on the right.
S. Drostan died at Glenesk, in August, in the year 809. His remains were conveyed from Glenesk to Aberdour where they were deposited in a "tumba lapidea" or stone coffin, and were long believed to work wondrous cures upon the sick and afflicted." Interesting notices of Arberdour, ecclesiastical and territorial, can be found in the Book of Deer (Spalding Club), edited by Dr John Stuart; and of S Drostan, in Kalendars of Scottish Saints by the Bishop of Brechin, Alexander P Forbes. Edinburgh, 1872.

In 1318, Bishop Chein erected the church into a prebend of Old Machar. The Church of Aberdour is rated at 28 merks in the Old Taxation. In 1574, along with the kirks of Gamrie, Philorth (Fraserburg), and Tyrie. it was served by Mr David Howesoun, as minister; and Alexander Ramsey was the contemporary reader, or schoolmaster at Aberdour. The earliest parts of the old kirk of Aberdour possibly belong to the 16th century; but the piscina, or lavatory, and a hexagonal baptismal font, seem to be of an older date. The latter was brought from the chapel Den, about four miles to the westward, where it is said, there was another place of worship. The nave of the old church of Aberdour is used for interments.

The burial aisle of the Bairds of Auchmedden is to the West. It contains three stones inscribed as below, each of which present carvings of the Baird arms:-

The erector of this monument James Baird, from which the third inscription is copied was high sheriff of Banffshire, and took an active part in the public affairs of his time. He was knighted by Charles II and married Christian, daughter of Walter Ogilvy of Boyne. Her initials and arms are also upon the monument

The half-obliterated name of ANN FRASER refers to the daughter of Lord Saltoun who was the mother of Sir James Baird. Sir James' Grand-mother, Elizabeth Keith, wife of the first-named George, was a daughter of Keith of Troup, brother to Earl Marischal. The name altogether obliterated (between the two Georges) had been that of GILBERT BAIRD. He was third in succession, and died 23d Feb. 1620, having had, by his kinswomen, the heiress of Ordinhuives, no fewer than thirty-two sons and daughters. It was in 1597, during the absence of this laird, that James Chein from Pennan, and others attacked the house of Auchmedden. In a contemporary account of the affair, it is stated that the assailants.
"clam to the tops of thair houssis, kaist in stanes at the chymney," and shot the lady "throw the claythis, sche being grit with barne; for feir of the quhilk schot," it is added, "she schortlie thairafter pairtit with the said barne."

The following gives an overview of the families buried within other sections of the crypt for example:- The LESLIES are buried to the East, The BAIRDS to the West and the GORDONS to the South.

An aisle on the South side of the ruins of the church was erected by Mr Gordon of Aberdour. It contains a handsome marble tablet, with the Gordon and Rose arms quartered; also an inscription to the following effect:-

To the memory of WILLIAM GORDON of Aberdour, who died 11 Nov. 1839, aged 67; and his wife MARY ROSE, eldest daughter of William Rose of Ballivat, who died 18 Jan. 1828, aged 49; and of their children; JOHN who died in October 1802, in infancy; ALICIA, who died 2 August 1810, aged 14 ; ANNA, who died who died 4th of Feb. 1822 aged 16; ELIZABETH; who died 28 Aug 1826 aged 16; ALEXANDER, lieutenant of the Coldstream Guards, who died 1 April 1818, aged 20; GEORGE who died in Surrey, 7 Dec. 1820 aged 7; and WILLIAM who died at St Kitts, 18 June, aged 40.

The father of the above first-named Mr Gordon was tenant of the Milltown of Aberdour, also factor for the General Gordon of Fyvie. He bought the estate of Aberdour, and founded the village of New Aberdour. His son who died as above in 1839, sold the estate shortly before his death. It is tradition that the Lieutenant fell in duel with a French-man, who appears to have been a good marksman, for it is added that he had previously shot three or four antagonists under similar circumstances . Lieut. G.'s grandfather died in 1785.

Having accidentally heard of a carved stone in the more westerly part of the nave of the church, and on the site of the old pulpit, I had the diggings made when at Aberdour sometime ago, and discovered, at the depth of from one to two feet, an interesting slab of freestone, measuring four feet nine inches by two feet; but unfortunately broken. It is embellished in the centre with a cross, terminating in fleur-de-lis at the top; and at the foot, within a circle or belt, there is a shield charged with three cinquifoils in chief, and martlet displayed between two cinquifoils in base, for white. The following inscription is carved in relief round the margin of the stone:-

In a letter from Professor Baird of Lyons, to his brother of Auchmedden, dated from Lyons, 23 Jan 1603, he remarks- "As to the Abbot, Mr John Quhyt, John Quhyt of Ardlyhill's son, thair is half a yeir since I hard he is in guild helth." It is stated Edinburgh Review, No 243, p. 180, that John James Whyte became Abbot of the Scots monastery at Ratisbone in 1595, and died in Germany in 1629. The above inscription appears to relate to the father of Abbot Whyte."

The letter referred to by Andrew Jervise written by Professor Baird of Lyons, son of the first George Baird described above can be read [here]