Aboyne-Dinnet linked with Cromar

Church
of
Scotland

PARISH OF ABOYNE

VAULT UNDER CHURCH[i]

There is a large Vault under the Church in which members of the Huntly Family are buried.

The Vault is reached by a door in the North Wall of the Church, from which a stone built staircase descends to the Vault. There are 18 steps to the lower landing and from it other 2 steps down into the Vault. The lower landing is covered by an arched ceiling. The staircase is under the stair leading to the Church gallery.

The Vault is 24’ 0” long x 16’ 2” broad. The side walls are 3’ 0” high and the vault which is arched with stone rises to a height of 9’ 2” in the centre.

The entrance to the Vault proper is by an arched doorway 6’ 0” high at the side and 6’ 9” in the centre. The stone arch of this doorway appears to have been re-built but not pointed on the side next the Vault. The door is of wood and I found it open. The outer door in the Church wall is of wood and is locked.

The floor of the Vault which is 12’ 2” below the floor of the Church is laid with granite slabs. There two ventilators, one a slit of 1” broad by 1’ 9” high from the Vault into the staircase, and the other a vent from the staircase to the outside, which is finished with a grating 19” x 10” placed behind the buttress at the front door.

One of the columns supporting the gallery rests on the Arch of the Vault and another on the side wall.

There are four coffins in the Vault and one recorded interment under the floor. The particulars according to order of dates are as follows:-

I.                Lady Margaret Stewart,
Countess of Aboyne,
Fourth daughter of The Earl of Galloway,
aged Thirty. Died 12th August 1762.

II.                On a stone at the West end of the Vault
there is the following inscription:
Charles Gordon, Fourth Earl of Aboyne
Lies Buried Here,
Born 1726
Died 1794
In front of this stone there is a cross cut on
the floor with the letters

III.              George Cordon,
Marquis of Huntly,
Born 28th June 1761
Died 17th June 1853.

IV.             Lord Esme Gordon,
Died 28th September 1900
Aged 47 years.

V.              Amy Marchioness of Huntly,
Born January 17th 1850.
Died May 13th 1920.
R. I. P.

There are no records of other burials and there would appear to be none unless they are under the floor.

This Vault was no doubt originally built when the first Church was erected on this site after the Parishes of Aboyne and Glentanar were united. The date given is about 1763 but this was probably the date of the completion of the Church and a burial could have taken place in August 1762.

In the outside wall over the door leading to the Vault there is an old date stone 1761 with a coat of arms which is considerably decayed. The doorway in the North wall is probably of the same date as the present Church 1845.

Apart from the pointing of the Arch already referred to, and a few pieces of plaster damaged, the Vault is in good order and quite dry.