The Drummond Aisle in Lasswade Graveyard

As promised here are some more pictures from Lasswade Graveyard. This is the Drummond aisle which originally opened up into the now gone church in Lasswade Graveyard.

And this is another view of its intricate roof construction so reminiscent of St. Mary's Aisle in Carnwath as I mentioned in my last post.

This is the portrait of William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585-1649). His library was the foundation for what is now the library of Edinburgh University. The aisle was first restored in 1893 when the south end was build up on the demotition of the old church and the new gate put into place with the portrait plaque above. The cross from the medieval church surmounts it (see also the top picture). The aisle was restored again in 1993. There is a small verse engraved underneath his portrait which reads:

Here Damon lies, whose songs did sometime grace

the murmering Esk, may roses shade the place.

Inside set into the facing wall inside the aisle is this plaque which has the following text:

To the memory of Jean Drummond a child of excellent

dispositions & uncommon understand

ing who left the miseries of this world

for the joys of eternity 11th Feb'y 1777

aged 13 years 2 months this Monument

is erected by her deeply afflicted

parents the Rev. Dr. Wm Abernethy

Drummond youngest son to Alex'r

Abernethy Esq. of Corskie Bamstshire

& Mrs. Barbara Mary Drummond only

surviving child & heiress of the late

Wm Drummond Esq. of Hawthornden

Quis desiderio sit pudor aut modus

Tam cari capitis?

These last to lines in Latin translate as "What shame or bound can these be in longing for so dear a person" and is a quotation from Horace.

The yound girl has a strange bedfellow in her room; the effigy of a medieval knight who is in full armour and is reputed to be a soldier rom the battle of Roslin which would date him to approx. 1303.  He was placed into the Drummond Aisle at some time in the past and was photographed (as was the plaque) through the railings. It was fairly dark inside so I'm surprised at how well these pictures turned outl

Finally an overview of how the Drummond Aisle fitted into the old church. At the right you can just about see a dip in the terrain which is where the old bell tower used to be. Nothing is left of it. It stood till 1866.