TOMBSTONES AND INSCRIPTIONS
Recorded by Doctor Beryl F.E. Moore & Michael Kenny 1975
SCURLOGSTOWN GRAVEYARD is 2 miles from Trim on the Dublin Road and south bank of the river Boyne on a little hill. It had a walk around it but for many years it is not kept scuffled. East and west sides measure 52 yds, while the north and south sides are 31 yards. The Graveyard is surrounded by a good stone wall and is situated in a field close to the main road. The little Boycetown River passes close to it and in olden days drove a mill (Scurlogstown) and then passed between the motte and bailey and entered the Boyne. The motte still remains but in recent years the bailey was removed. Scurlogstown Castle was on high ground nearby but on the other side of the by-road to Bective crossroads.
SCURLOGSTOWN CHURCH RUINS are situated in the north end of the graveyard and are of the nave chancel type. None of the chancel arch has survived but the north portion of the dividing wall has. Sir Wm. Wilde speaks of ‘a trefoil east window’. Bishop Dopping tells us that on his visitation between the years 1682 to 5 he found “Dr. John Stearne was the curate but lived in Trim. The P.P was Dillon. There were no papist schools or school-master. There were 5 Protestant Families but they came not to church. Since 1641 the Church and chancel are ruinous. All vessels furniture etc. are wanting. Thomas Ashe is the Impropriator. The Graveyard is not fenced. There is no glebe House and Crawford rents a shop in the ruined Church”. All the headstones are situated on the south side of the Church ruins and many are in danger because of the number of large yew trees growing close to them.
9 Headstones nearest to the church working from east to west.
1) STONE 1772-88… Very wide old plain stone completely covered in white lichen, rectangular in shape with only a slight dome on top, with a full sunburst surrounding a cross IHS and flaming heart. There is a carving on each side of this centre-piece…. That on viewer’s left seems to be a plant in a pot but we are not certain what the carving on the right is intended to portray; it seems to be a tree with its roots and perhaps a nest with a bird hatching? This headstone is thicker down the centre than at each side.
Inscription as follows “THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY WALTER STONE IN MEMORY OF HIS FATHER & (AMERSAND) BROTHER. HERE LIETH THE BODY OF THOS STONE DIEd MAY 2 d 1772 AGED 63 Yrs. EDWARD STONE DEPARd THIS LIFE FEBRUy 4TH 1788 AGED 33 Yrs”.
2) BRIEN 1864… Domed top with cross inside the dome. “ERECTED BY MARY BRIEN IN MEMORY OF HER BELOVED HUSBAND MICHAEL BRIEN BREEMOUNT WHO DIED 14TH JULY 1895 AGED 72 YEARS. ALSO HIS MOTHER MARY BRIEN DIED 17TH APRIL 1864 AGED 78 YEARS”. At bottom…
R I P & G W HARRISON & SONS DUBLIN.
3) BYRNE 1945… White marble stone with cross on top and an ivy design. ‘JESUS MERCY’ on the left and ‘MARY HELP’ on the right. Roll molding on the left and right edges. “IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY DEAR HUSBAND PETER BYRNE DIED 23RD JUNE 1952 AND OUR DEAR SON JAMES DIED AS A RESULT OF ACCIDENT 27TH OCT. 1953 AGED 36 YEARS. ALSO ELIZABETH BYRNE DIED 4TH DEC. 1945. ALSO HIS DEAR WIFE ELIZABETH DIED 18TH NOV. 1957”. At bottom “R I P ERECTED BY HIS WIFE AND FAMILY”, also “COURTNEY 9 THOMAS ST. DUBLIN”.
4) RICKARD 1848… Peaked top with ivy leaves and berries around top. IHS inside a circle of leaves. “ERECTED BY MICHAEL RICKARD IN MEMORY OF HIS BELOVED FATHER CHRISTOPHER RICKARD DIED NOVr 29TH 1848. ALSO HIS MOTHER MARY RICKARD DIED DECr 6TH 1868. ALSO EWd RICKARD HIS BROTHER DIED JULY 31ST 1857 AGED 22 YEARS. CHRst RICKARD HIS BROTHER DIED JULY 22ND 1857 AGED 16 YEARS. JOHN RICKARD HIS BROTHER DIED JULY 10TH 1848 AGED 2 YEARS”. At bottom R I P & B J TAYLOR & SONS DUBLIN.
5) RICKARD 1746… Small plain stone with domed top. Cross and IHS in centre. “HERE LYETH THE BODY OF THOMAS RICKARD WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE APRIL Ye 15TH 1746 AGED 7 YEARS. ERECTED BY THOMAS RICKARD. ALSO Ye BODY OF EDWARD RICKARD WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE JUNE 15TH 1746 AGED 47 YEARS”.
6) GROGAN 1797… Domed top with full sunburst cross IHS and heart with a plant growing out of it. ‘GLORIA ETC’ around lower half of sunburst. “THIS STONE WAS ERECTED BY CATHERINE GROGAN OF BRAYMOUNT IN MEMORY OF HER BELOVED BROTHER BRYAN GROGAN WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE MAY THE 23rd 1816 AGED 52 YEARS. HERE ALSO LIES THE REMAINS OF NICHOLAS GROGAN WHO DEPD THIS LIFE 1798 AGED 70 YEARS. ALSO HIS SON JOHN WHO DEPD THIS LIFE 1797 AGED 56 YEARS”. At bottom ‘REQUIESCANT IN PACE’.
7) No name or date. Small black stone with an iron cross on top and an empty space where apparently a plate for the inscription fell off.
8) NEVILLE 1814… A tall pinnacle with the inscription on the massive base. On front of base… “ERECTED BY PATRICK NEVILLE MAUDLINS TRIM IN MEMORY OF HIS FATHER PATRICK NEVILLE BROWNSTOWN WHO DIED APRIL 5TH 1893 AGED 93 YEARS. ALSO HIS MOTHER MARGARET NEVILLE DIED APRIL 6TH 1848 AGED 38 YEARS”. On right side of base… “ALSO HIS SISTER ANNE NEVILLE DIED AUG. 16TH 1887 AGED 44 YEARS”. On left side of base… “ALSO HIS GR. FATHER THOS NEVILLE DIED OCT 7TH 1825 AGED 63. GR. GR. FATHER WmNEVILLE OF KILCOOLEY DIED JAN 6TH 1814 AGED 86. R I P”.
9) NEVILLE 1919… Large celtic cross with its hatlike cover on top, and IHS in centre. Interlacing design on shaft. Inscription on base under a small carved cross. “SACRED HEART OF JESUS HAVE MERCY ON THE SOUL OF PATRICK NEVILLE MAUDLINS TRIM WHO DIED 7 JAN. 1919 AGED 73 YRS”.
8 Headstones further south from east to west
10) HAMILTON 1743… Small stone with a notched top. “THIS WAS ERct BY GEORGE HAMILTON MARCH Ye 14.1759. HERE LEYEtH (ALL the letters are big except t which is very small) YE BODY OF ANDREW HAMILTON LATE OF GREENBATTER WHO DEPARTED HIS LIFE MAY Ye 30TH 1746 AGED 68. ALSO MARY HIS WIFE DEPARTED THIS LIFE MARCH Ye 20th 1743 AGED 48 AND WILLIAM… (Likely Hamilton but stone at this point is badly flaked) DEPARTED THIS LIFE JULY YE 20TH 1759 (or 1758) AGED 20 and ANN HIS DAUGHer DEPARTED THIS LIFE MARCH Ye 12TH 1757 AGED 28”.
11) YOUNG 1878… A solid cross on top of an ordinary rectangular stone with a lamb on a cross in its centre and a small fancy cross on each of the 3 limbs. ‘ECCE AGNUS DEI’ around top. “ERECTED BY ANDREW YOUNG IN MEMORY OF HIS FATHER JOHN YOUNG OF DANGAN WHO DIED 14TH OCTr 1885 AGED 80 YEARS. ALSO HIS MOTHER ANNE YOUNG WHO DIED 15TH NOV. 1878 AGED 48 YEARS”. AT bottom R I P & DENNANY GLASNEVIN.
12) MOONEY 1730… This is the oldest stone which we found in Scurlogstown. Large old wide stone with a domed top and full sunburst around a cross IHS and 3 nails. A very fancy frame around the inscription and a lot of well carved leaves and leafy trails above the inscription. “THIS MONUMENT PROTECTS THE TOMB OF THE FAMILY OF MOONEY OF GRANGEMOONEY (the OONEY is in small letters above the rest of the name) NEAR TRIM. HERE LYETH THE BODY OF MARGERY MOONEY ALIAS COLEMAN WHO DIED 18 of APRIL 1732 AGED 63 YEARS AND ALSO CORNELIUS MOONEY HER HUSBAND WHO DIED 10TH OF MARCH 1730 AGED 101 YEARS”. ‘GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO’ is barely visible around the dome.
The back of this stone is carved and prepared for an inscription but none has been added. At top we get in centre a blank shield with a leafy trail around it. There is a wreath underneath the shield and a large cherub’s head and expanded wings on each side.
13) Cross buried in ground at the head of a grave underneath 2 very large yew trees. Sir Wm Wilde in his book ‘The Beauties of the rivers Boyne and Blackwater’ written in the eighteen-forties says ‘we lately observed a considerable portion of an ancient stone cross used as a headstone – a relic in all probability older than the Church itself’. Some 10 years ago I found this cross apparently in the same spot but only 2 or 3 ins. showing above ground. I got it dug up and think it was quite plain without carving. It consists of the whole cross and about half of the shaft. Now it has been buried in the same spot again and not easily dug up so it remains with only a few inches above ground.
14) BAILEY 1874… Very large celtic cross on a large base completely enveloped by a large yew tree. Hatlike cover on top and IHS in its centre. On base in front… “ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF PATRICK AND CATHERINE BAILEY OF STONESTOWN BY THEIR AFFECTIONATE SONS. PATRICK DIED 22ND APRIL 1874 AGED 80. CATHERINE DIED 27TH FEB. 1882 AGED 83. ALSO MARY BAILEY NEE KEELY DIED 26TH NOV. 1875 AGED 31 YEARS. PETER BAILEY OF MULLINGAR DIED 15TH OCT. 1898 AGED 53. JAMES BAILEY DIED 29TH DEC. 1899 AGED 65. ANNE BAILEY DIED 4TH JAN. 1900 AGED 63. JOHN BAILEY DIED 8TH MARCH 1900 AGED 77. GEORGE BAILEY DIED 26TH FEB. 1905 AGED 81 R I P”. At bottom BURNELL CARRICK.
On left side of base… “BRIDGET BAILEY WIFE OF GEORGE DIED 26TH APRIL 1916 AGED 91. MARGARET BAILEY DIED 10TH MARCH 1921. ANNE BAILEY NEE BYRNE. PATRICK BAILEY. JOSEPH BAILEY DIED 28TH MAY 1953 AGED 55 YEARS. R I P”.
15) BAILEY 1824… Solid cross with lamb on a cross in its centre and a full sunburst around lamb. “ERECTED BY PATRICK BAILEY STONESTOWN IN MEMORY OF HIS BELOVED FATHER RICHARD BAILEY WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE JUNE 5TH 1924. ALSO HIS BELOVED MOTHER JANE BAILEY WHO DIED JUNE 14TH 1824. AND HIS BROTHER GEORGE DIED FEBRy 5TH 1851. AND HIS CHILDREN ANDREW JOSEPH PATRICK AND MARY”. At bottom R I P.
16) CONNOR no date… Modern grey limestone cross and IHS in its centre. Uninscribed slab and CONNOR in front of base. On right side of base RENNICKS HIGH ST. TRIM
17) HALFORD 1919… Modern light grey limestone slab with ringed cross on top and flaming heart and small cross in centre. “IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOMAS HALFORD DIED 5TH MARCH 1919. PATRICK J. HALFORD DIED 16TH DEC. 1920. WILLIAM HALFORD DIED 17TH JULY 1929. MRS. BRIDGET CONNOR DIED 1917. MRS. ROSANNA HALFORD DIED 12TH JULY 1932 AGED 69. MRS JULIA FARRAR DIED 2ND MARCH 1933 AGED 33 YEARS. JULIA HALFORD DIED 1ST JULY 1951. JAMES HALFORD DIED 18TH JAN 1955. JAMES JNR DIED 12TH JAN 1965. MARY CONNELL DIED 11TH NOV. 1967. JOSEPH HALFORD DIED 25 NOV 1968. MARY ROSE HALFORD DIED 20TH JAN 1970 R I P”. At bottom J. BENNETT ARDBRACCAN, NAVAN.
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