We have a valuable record of our local history in the headstones in the churchyard. It is most unfortunate that many years ago quite a few of the older ones were removed, but we must be grateful for those we have left. Although many are now worn and some unreadable, it is not too late to record the remaining inscriptions and this has recently been done by Mr. & Mrs. MURPHY.

On the south wall of the church there are some interesting inscriptions, one, near the old priest’s door dating from 1640. Below it is a skull set into the wall. Note also the inscription in which the letter ‘N’ is always reversed, and the one that says “These three died of a violent fea (fever) in the year 1736.” Epidemics were common in those days.

In 1864 a bulging of the South wall of the Church was said to be due to graves being dug deeper than the foundation of the wall.  Wherefore two more buttresses were built to secure the top foundation of the wall.  At the same time the tops of the walls were levelled to secure a new roof and crow-steps were substituted for skews though the skews remained and were restored.

One of the most interesting features is the number of stones bearing the tools of the trade followed by the deceased. There is a spoon, and quarry men or miner’s tools among others, and the finest is near the gate leading to the manse, the burial place of a tailor.

The old part of the churchyard must be very old, yet there is no tombstone visible with an earlier date than 1560.  This churchyard was one of the last places in Scotland where a ‘resurrection’ was attempted.  A party of watchers once caught two ‘body-snatchers’ in the very act and tied up one of them to the cross in Wester Pencaitland where he received very rough treatment from a very angry crowd among whom many were women.

In 1855 the churchyard was enlarged taking with it the old College, a building once suggested as being the old vicarage, the extra ground being given by Lady RUTHVEN free of charge.  The new part consisted of ground on which the college buildings stood and stretched as far as the old house called College Barns.

The tombstone of Lord RUTHVEN occupies a very prominent position in Pencaitland Churchyard.

Several extensions have been made on the Churchyard.  The last took place in 1902 when the Churchyard was found to be overcrowded.  A grant of land from the glebe having been refused by the Presbytery, Mr & Mrs H. Ogilvy offered to sell half an acre of ground which offer was accepted by the heritors and agreed to, by the Presbytery.  Not long after, in 1908, the new cemetery on Saltoun Road came into being the work being done by Mr. R. Baillie at the cost of £556, 4 shillings and 9 pence.

These are only a small number of the interesting stones to be seen, see the picture library.