Tree       Contact       Index       Bing Maps


From the formal and respectful tone of the letter, it might appear that Jas McC. Pithie was someone hired by William Leiper to undertake this research project, as opposed to a directly interested party; a more likely interpretation is that these are just the standard formules de politesse of the age.


                    Tullynessle
                         Alford N.B.
                           6th Oct. 1898

Dear Sir,

            Soon after I had the
pleasure of seeing you I found out
two stones belonging to the Terpersie
family. They were in a sad state quite
overgrown with lichen &c. I cleaned
them, but then another difficulty occurred.
In some places the lettering had been worn
by careless feet. I may mention that the
larger stone, if not both were built into the
inside wall of the Parish Church – a former
one, and on its destruction were laid flat
in the present Church yard.

            All the lettering is in capital letters
and I have preserved the spelling. I dont
say it is absolutely correct, but it will
give you an idea of its contents. I got a
copy of the inscription taken twenty years
ago, which helped some what. At the
peak in the larger stone there are two lines
somewhat obliterated and broken, perhaps
when taking out of the wall of the
church.

            I am not sure whether I am
right in the idea I have adopted, as
there is no peak – being written close
to each side, for example, one line
begins so

PERPETVAL AS ELIAS SHE HIR1

2 here ends the line on the stone
then the next line begins USDOM &c

            The smaller stone is the
old I should say by a good bit
and much more difficult to make
out. It is only in certain lights
that much can be made of it.
Would a photo of it do any good.
But then it would require to be
raised.

            If I can make more of
what I am in doubts about owing
to its being worn, or of the
other portions of the older stone I
will let you know

            I was in Helensburgh for a
couple of days – at least at Glenfruin,
but had not then come to a finish.
If I had called then you might
from your own information have
cleared up some points, for example the
date of Jas Gordon’s death it is 1671 or
1679. I think the first.

            You will notice that in the older
stone the spelling is Terpersie, in the
other Derpersie. Old people here
generally call it Dalpersie.

            Should I find anything else
I shall gladly let you know

            I am, Dear Sir,

Wm. Leiper Esqr      Yours truly

Jas. McC. Pithie

Terpersie
Helensburgh 		}
If I can answer any questions
on the above I shall gladly
do so.

P.S. In the larger stone the death of
Anna Gordon’s husband is given all
around the outer edge of three and a half
sides. I have given the portions on each.

Notes

1 The Terpersie Stone and Anna Gordon

2 A pair of symbols, one resembling a W with two horizontal scorelines, the other consisting of two intersecting Vs, appear here.

Jas McC. Pithie to William Leiper