Saturday 14 June 2008

Elvanfoot Church





This graveyard has only more recent headstones, one old wooden cross caught my attention. The church has a excellent slate roof. I'm not sure, but the church looked unused.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This church was sold some years ago and was used as a museum. I don't know the name of the person who owns it. I wish I did. the stained glass windows inside are absolutely stunning. Unfortunately it is on the at risk register. My dad and little brother are buried in the cemetary so we are there often. The church fascinates me.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what the carving above the door denotes?

Neil Hatfield said...

The wooden cross marks the grave of Margaret Hatfield and her baby John Gaven. Margaret was my father John William Hatfield's first wife. Their baby John died aged 5 hours 23rd June 1947 and Margaret nee Taylor died 25th July 1947 aged 25. They died in Leicester but Margaret was brought up at Howcleugh and went to school nearby. I believe her mother Georgina Lorimer Taylor nee Fleming was buried in the same cemetery some years earlier. My father had the oak cross made by the Gimson Timber company for whom he worked all his life. My father re-married in 1949 Esme Helen Jones, my mother. Margaret's brother and sister Russell and Della Taylor became my brother Glyn Hatfield's god parents. What a long story this explanation is of a humble wooden cross grave marker - I thought it worth a mention. Yours Neil Hatfield - baby John's half brother!!

scotfot said...

Hi Neil, many thanks for the account about the wooden cross. At the time, it seemed different and special, the fact that it was in wood and the inscription was starting to go, I felt it had to be recorded. Again, many thanks visiting the blog and providing the story behind this simple cross.

Bob McIntosh

Anonymous said...

Hi

My Great Great Grandfather is intered in this church yard. The headstone is worn and made of granite and bares the initials J McC which is made in lead lettering . His name was James McCubbin and he was station master at elvanfoot. He is intered with first wife below him and second wife on top of him. He died in 1927 and owned properties in crawford, including Ivy Lodge, Station Master's house. Apparently he has a plaque in the church. He was an elderman.

James McCubbin

Anonymous said...

'Stone built early 20th century church with high pitched slate roofs and a tower with a pyramidical roof. Located in an active churchyard. It is thought that the church was once lived in as a residence, but has been vacant since the last resident became I'll with the long term illness M .E, in 1999she hopes to return some time in the future when she finds enough finances to renovate but as a pensioner is shall we say  a little short of payment for workmen 
 'The church was built by local subscription as a result of the famous Wilson Barrett who when on tour around with his actors  was inspired by God  to replace a Shulamite  dwelling on the local farm with a church to accommodate the lead miners from Leadhills with a place of worship on a Sunday when the railway came through the Clyde  valley in 1905 

Unknown said...

Stopped at this church recently and is in poor condition.
the vegetation is over grown and building very poor condition
the stained glass is mostly undamged
Inside it is full of what looked like someones life posessions and part of the structure fallen in