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Nancy Johnston

@jeelyeater1.bsky.social

1.3K followers 1.2K following 950 posts

Gallus granny interested in glass, graves and gardens. Perthshire. Once a History teacher. Ancient alumna of University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde (Jordanhill) and the OU. RAMC camp follower for 33 years. Photos all mine.

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · Nov 18

Thanks to new followers and to those who’ve been following for a while. Gradually topping up my photos of carved gravestones, countryside etc - but not much #stainedglass this year, as few churches around here are open.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 18h

The whole table tomb is always worth sharing, with its depiction of the farmer William Straiton reclining beneath, his missing head once resting on a sheaf of corn as he holds a skull and a dog warming his feet. It also has scenes of his daily farming life carved on one end. Quite remarkable.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 18h

Day 13 of #31DaysOfGraves - Skeleton

On the leg of a magnificent 18thC table tomb in Liberton Kirkyard, Edinburgh, is carved the figure of death as a skeleton, standing upon a skull, firing a dart at the soon-to-be-deceased while cutting the cord of a weight dangling over the unlucky person's head!

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Alison M @alisonm.bsky.social · 6h

#31DaysOfGraves day14: inside. Govan, better known as the heart of Scotland's shipbuilding industry, is home to one of the country's oldest places of worship and to the Govan Stones, Viking era hogback stones, as well as the magnificent pre-Norman Govan sarcophagus. A brilliant place to visit.

Viking hogback stones. A long carved stone that looks a bit like a corn on the cob

Detail of the Govan sarcophagus, a carved stone tomb. The detail shows a soldier on horseback and some carved pattern work to one side

Another detail from the sarcophagus, possibly showing a lamb standing on a wolf (perhaps suggesting the triumph of Christianity over paganism)

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Alison Spring @acspring.bsky.social · 7h

#31DaysofGenealogy #Day14 #Inside the former Govan Old Parish Church (now a museum containing Pictish & Viking sculptures), near where I grew up, sits a stone sarcophagus believed to have held the remains of Constantine of Strathclyde, ruler & later saint. More details at buff.ly/AgK4bZx

A sandstone sarcophagus, without a lid, showing a side with carvings of Celtic interlace on either side of a hunting scene showing a deer, a hunter on horseback, and a dog.

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 6h

#31DaysOfGraves Day 14: Inside. Kinnoull Aisle, Kinnoull old kirkyard, Perth.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 1d

“In searching for them, you wander through the everyday fabric of a place. You see how a culture remembers its dead, and in doing so, you understand how it chooses to live.”

Interesting article exploring the growth In tourist visits to graveyards around the world 👇
www.euronews.com/travel/2025/...

Tombstone tourism: Why visiting graveyards is becoming so popular

A growing number of tourists are “rebelling against tick-box travel” by ditching the popular sights for a trip to the graveyard.

www.euronews.com

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St Magnus Cathedral, Orkney @stmagnuscathedral.bsky.social · 5d

Day 9 of #31DaysofGraves - and the prompt is ‘hand’! Here’s a little prototype emoji from the 1600s - a hand pointing towards a Bible. This stone commemorates Kirk Minister Thomas Baikie, who died aged 42.

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Brian McRoberts @brimcrob.bsky.social · 2d

When I wander round Greyfriars Kirk. I always stop and marvel at some the carvings on the various graves. There is whole story the mason is telling with this one.

A gravestone with carved Skelton that looks as if its falling out of the stone while carrying some sort heavy tome of book.

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Alison Spring @acspring.bsky.social · 1d

The obverse of a stone in Meigle churchyard (Perthshire). The dedication on the principal side is to Janet Edward, who died in 1737, age 49. Her husband was James Lesly. #31DaysofGraves #Day13 #Skeleton

This gravestone depicts a winged soul above a skeleton that stands between two trumpeting angels and holds an hourglass and an arrow. Other symbols on the stone are tools and a bell.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 1d

A fine example of an Early English Gothic style miniature cathedral, All Souls, Invergowrie, is our #ScottishChurchOfTheWeek. It was completed in 1896 for Frances, Lady Kinnaird in memory of her late husband George, the 9th Lord Kinnaird and their three children, who had all predeceased her.

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 1d

#31DaysOfGraves Day 13: Skeleton. In Port of Menteith kirkyard, Stirlingshire.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 2d

Sadly her remains were disturbed in the years before by macabre souvenir hunters, one of whom stole the poor woman's skull, which remained in St Andrew's Uni for many years.

A photo was taken that allowed forensic artists at Dundee Uni to reconstruct her face in 2017.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scot...

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 2d

Day 12 of #31DaysOfGraves - Notable Woman

An unassuming slab of stone off the Fife coast at Torryburn covers the mortal remains of Lilias Adie, the only known grave of an accused witch in Scotland

Buried beneath the tidal line by superstitious villagers in 1704, her grave was rediscovered in 2014

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 2d

Gorgeous weather this weekend in the capital, so have been doing some touristy things.

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Scotland's Churches Trust @scotchurchestrust.bsky.social · 2d

Day 11 of #31DaysOfGraves - Military

Many churches in Scotland house markers that once marked the graves of fallen soldiers of World War One until they were replaced by the permanent headstones erected by the (now) CWGC.

This one in Clackmannan Parish Church once marked Cpt Robert Bruce's grave.

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Lorraine @wolfq4.bsky.social · 2d

Day 12 of #31DaysOfGraves is #NotableWoman
To anyone who knows my areas of interest, it couldn't be anyone other than Miss Cranston of Glasgow tearoom fame. She died in 1934 and is buried with her husband in Barrhead
#twitterstorians
Read my post:
archivisthistoryblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/10/t...

The Cochrane family grave in Neilston Parish Church in Barrhead
Photo (c) Lorraine Murray, 2024

Mrs Catherine Cochrane (Cranston) was widowed in 1917

31 days of graves themes for 2025 but @annaandthedead

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Turnstone Genealogy - Jane Barton @turnstonegenie.bsky.social · 2d

#31DaysOfGraves
Day 11: Military
There are 49 WW1 & 38 WW2 war graves in #RutherglenCemetery. Some are marked by familiar #CWGC headstones, others have family gravestones or monuments. There are also many memorials to war dead who are buried elsewhere or have no known grave.

The Cross of Sacrifice, signifying the presence of 40 or more war graves. There are 87 war graves here - 49 WW1 graves and 38 WW2 graves – scattered throughout the older parts of the cemetery. Rutherglen Cemetery, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone for Private James Watson.
James grew up as part of a large family in slum housing close to the pit at Farme Cross, Rutherglen and would no doubt have followed his father into coal mining. He volunteered soon after the outbreak of war, joined the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Scots and arrived in France on 24th February 1915. He was injured in battle close to the Ypres Salient in early June, taking a gunshot wound to the head. He was shipped out to Bevan Military Hospital near Folkstone in Kent, but had developed a cerebral abscess and died on 28 June. He was just 20 years old.
James was awarded the British, Victory and 15 Star for his service.

Lieutenant James Pattison was originally from County Antrim in Ireland but moved with his family to Glasgow when he was a boy. He joined the Highland Light Infantry at the very beginning of WW1. He served mainly on the western front – his records detail how he moved between battalions and rose through the ranks as the war progressed.
He was awarded the 15 Star as well as the British and Victory medals for his service.
At the end of the war, James returned to his family and his work as a butcher in Rutherglen but, like many soldiers who served in the trenches, his lungs were weak and he died of pneumonia on 27the February 1919, soon after his return.
His death certificate makes no mention of his military service and he is not listed on the Roll of Honour on Rutherglen War Memorial.

Family gravestone commemorating Robert John Smith of the 4th Canadian Mounted RIfles, who was reported missing on 2nd June 1916 but was never found and has no known grave. Rutherglen Cemetery, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

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Jane Harris Janealogy @janejanealogy.bsky.social · 2d

#31DayOfGraves day 11 military.
Pte Tom R Ross MM Croix de Guerre and Star d 1918 Memorial in Bunahoun Cemetery in Strath Halladale, Sutherland.
He was awarded the Military Medal in late 1917 along with a large number of other non-commissioned officers and men
www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue...

Erected by James Ross, Golval, in loving memory of his son Pte Tom R Ross MM Croix de Guerre and Star Royal Highlanders who was killed in action on 19th August 1918 at Neuville Vitasse France aged 22 years
And his beloved wife Elizabeth Walker who died 7th August 1932 aged 73 years Also the above James Ross who died 21st April 1934 aged 82 years
His loving smile and cheerful ways are pleasant to recall
he had a kindly word for each and died beloved by all.

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Joanie McNaughton @joaniemcnaughton.bsky.social · 2d

I had the privilege of attending the Scottish Women’s Hospitals end of WWI commemoration in 1998 at Royaumont Abbey, outside Paris. I represented my great aunt who was an ambulance driver on the front.

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 2d

She visited @innerpeffray.bsky.social near us and signed the visitors’ book. We have her sister’s book and also one by Isabel Emslie Hutton.

Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 2d

We had the privilege of attending a service of thanksgiving on the centenary of her funeral.

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Derek Robertson @hawickremembering.bsky.social · 2d

One of my memorable 'wow' moments was discovering the Great War medals of Elsie's cook, Mary Milne, unloved and forgotten in a cardboard box in Hawick museums storeroom.
What tales they could tell....

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 2d

#StainedGlassSunday Sleeping or tired angels. By Oscar Paterson, in Newington Trinity Church, Edinburgh.

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 2d

#CeilingsOnSunday Rovaniemi church, Finland. Photo by @dralisonj.bsky.social this week.

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Nancy Johnston @jeelyeater1.bsky.social · 2d

#31DaysOfGraves Day 12: Notable woman.Dr Elsie Inglis. Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh.

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