Category: Special Feature

First of all, apologies for the omission, in the last edition of The Wee Vine, of the 1859 eulogy to James Kay composed by J. S. Dunn of Arngomery. It is now included following this article.

Work in the Kirkyard was somewhat hampered in late Spring by the presence of contractors building the bus shelter and using the entrance area for storage and cement mixing, so the first task on their departure was to clear up the debris left by them.

The above process exposed, what was initially believed to be a coping stone dislodged from the entrance wall, a memorial stone with an inscription to the memory of Duncan Robertson and his wife Mary McGrigor, dated 1830! Unfortunately, as a result of years of having been lying, partially buried, in a direct route from the gate, the inscription is barely readable but archive material has identified that they lived in Arnprior and that two further Robertson burials followed in the same lair in 1892 and 1903.

In a similar vein one of the Kippen Heritage group was playing bridge with a Ms Fairlie who mentioned her forbears lived in Kippen (Loaningfoot), and had connections with the Aikman family. Coincidentally ‘Aikman’ is recorded as occupying lair No. 1 but there is no longer a stone in that position. Further on-site investigation has discovered the Aikman grave slab, dated 1786 several yards away; it appears to have been moved perhaps to protect it during slate removal on the Smiddy roof as a quantity of discarded slate was uncovered where the stone should have been!

As stones, long buried, are uncovered we are always very interested to know if anyone has any knowledge or information about the deceased, therefore we will continue to report any discoveries in The Wee Vine and be available to visitors to assist in locating memorials as was the case recently when Canadian visitors arrived at the Kirkyard.

Dale and Anita Galbraith from Canada, on holiday with Dale’s brother who now lives in
Texas, were pleased to gain access to Kippen’s historic kirkyard. They were researching their family history and looking for graveyards where ancestors named Galbraith were buried. They had come from Culcreuch Castle Hotel, the ancestral seat of the Scottish clan Galbraith for over 700 years where it was suggested to them to explore Kippen’s kirkyard. It was not to disappoint. A relevant stone was quickly located. Subsequent research by a Kippen heritage group member revealed a further significant number of Galbraith burials. This information will be forwarded to the family in Canada.

These are 3 early examples to encourage the Heritage group as to the importance of the project, in its early stages, to restore the kirkyard and enable archive material to be matched with stones and made easily accessible to people both on site and across the world on line.

Irene Chapman & June Waley, Kippen Heritage

DIED 17th October 1859

What do I hear? Can it be true
That he has bid this world adieu
To dwell in one so fair?
And yet his footprints can be seen
Down by the turnings of the Green,
But he himself’s not there.

This morn he rose in usual health
And rich in love if not in wealth,
By noonday he was gone;
Now nothing but the clay is left,
The body is of the soul bereft,
For God has claimed his own.

He was beloved by old and young,
The very babe with lisping tongue,
Loved to pronounce his name;
For he, with his enchanting lyre,
Set youthful maidens’ hearts on fire,
And kindled love’s bright flame.

The young men too they did rejoice
Whene’er they heard his cheerful voice,
Or saw his smiling face;
Whene’er under his arm was seen
His little bag of darkest green,
They something then could trace.

But now his race on earth is done,
No longer will his fingers run
Along fair Scotland’s pride!
Alas! we never more will hear
His music that once charmed our ear,
It’s now laid too aside.

He now is free from care and pain,
We will ne’er see his face again;
But this we all can say –
It will be long before we find
Another with a heart so kind
As our friend, Jamie Kay.

J. S. Dunn, Arngomery

found one

2 happy brothers – mission from Canada accomplished!

Galbraith family from Canada looking for their ancestors buried in the Kippen Graveyard.

On the evening of Saturday 4^th March Kippen Kirk was filled almost to capacity with people coming together to enjoy a performance by a Syrian classical guitarist, Ayman Jarjour, a musician of world renown. Ayman has played with the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra and the Syrian Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also performed widely across many continents. He holds a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School in New York and a Bachelor’s degree from the Royal Conservatory of music in Madrid. Having lived and taught in several countries Stirling is now his home.

During the set-up, John Fulton had the chance to imagine himself in concert.

The evening began by projecting powerful images of the reality of the horrors experienced in war-torn Syria, a refugee camp and finally the smiling faces of two young men now settling in the Forth Valley and volunteering as coaches for a young lads football team.

Ayman invited requests before embarking on his chosen performance which demonstrated his immense talent. He played pieces from a wide range of composers from many nationalities.

Refreshments were a wonderful taste of Syria, prepared by a refugee woman now living in Stirling and wishing to show her gratitude for the welcome, friendship and support that she and her family have received as they begin a new life in Scotland.

With the generosity of many villagers, and those from further afield who made donations, the sum of £2,641 was achieved. With the added value of gift aid this will make a significant contribution to two charities. Ayman is involved with many charities working inside and outside Syria, to help refugees and people remaining in Syria and affected by the war.

One third of the proceeds have gone to Stirling Citizens for Sanctuary. This new charity has been established to befriend and support those Syrian refugees now settling in our area. Medical Aid and Support for Syria is also a new charity which aims to get medical supplies to areas of need in Syria. Two thirds of the donations have gone to this cause.

Thanks to all who helped with organisation and to all who attended and contributed generously to a memorable evening.

June Waley

Words and Music from the Somme

In 1918 my grandfather, James McCowan of Brig-O-Frew Farm, Kippen, returned from the First World War without his brother Duncan, who was tragically killed in action after his 21st birthday.

9 years ago, my husband Grant and I visited his war grave in northern France with my parents. Mum never knew her Uncle Duncan. My dad also lost 2 uncles in the war and their fiancées never married. Mum said that Grandpa rarely spoke about the horrors of the trenches and he never went back to see his brother Duncan’s grave. It was incredibly moving for us to pay our respects at those war graves 2 generations later and, as we drove past the family farm near Kippen on our way back from France, we realised we had made the journey home which Uncle Duncan never did. There are few families, like ours, which were left untouched by the horrors of WW1 and I’m sure you will have similar stories to tell like mine.

The words and music which flowed from the poets, writers and musicians who fought at the Somme, expressed things which as Victor Hugo said “cannot remain silent”. The wonderful song cycle “A Shropshire Lad” (words by Housman and music by George Butterworth) is such a piece. When I sat, in a performance class at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where I work, listening to a student sing these wonderful songs, I felt compelled to put on a performance to commemorate those who so tragically lost their lives or were so deeply affected by the events of the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago. That day at college “Words and Music from the Somme” was born, the 6th in our “Classics at Kippen” concert series, which was established 4 years ago, to provide a wonderful community event, to give students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland a performing platform and to raise money for local charities. What better charity could we raise money for than Erskine, founded 100 years ago, to help the war wounded from this terrible time in our history?

On 12 November, armistice weekend, nearly 350 people crowded into Kippen Parish Church for a presentation of “Words and Music from the Somme”. This highly artistic programme given by colleagues and students from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, was a poignant, deeply moving and, I hope, fitting memorial to those from our small community and beyond, who fought for our freedom 100 years ago. I am a great believer in the words of the children’s hymn “Jesus bids us shine, you in your small corner and I in mine”. The work of Erskine still carries on a century later doing an incredible work in their small corner and I’m delighted to say that, in our small corner of Kippen, we raised over £10,000 for this extremely worthy charity! Thank you so very very much to all those who donated and to the many people who helped behind the scenes to make this event possible.

We all come to an event like this or watch the newsreels on our TV with many different thoughts, feelings and opinions on war and the politics of war and, as we look around us at the many wars still being fought in our world today, it is hard to make sense of it and wonder if we have learned from the mistakes of the past or, indeed, made any progress. We ended our programme on Nov 12th with a poem by the war poet Siegfried Sassoon called “Aftermath”. May I finish with some of his words?

“Have you forgotten yet? The past is just the same and war’s a bloody game. Have you forgotten yet? Look down and swear by the slain of the war that you will never forget. Do you ever stop to ask: “Is it all going to happen again?” Have you forgotten yet? Look up, and swear by the green of the Spring that you will never forget”

“Lord, as we remember with sadness the horrors of war, help us to work for a better understanding between races and nations. Open our eyes to see our own part in discord and aggression between peoples, forgive us our pride and divisions, and renew in us the search for peace so that trust may replace suspicion, friendship replace fear, and your spirit of reconciliation be known among us. Amen”

(Taken from “War Cries”, a book of military prayers compiled by Rev. Mark Davidson)

Kathleen McKellar Ferguson (Coubrough)