St Kentigern's / St Mungo's Church and the Howgate Carrier

Saturday P.M., popped along to the Co -op for a bottle of wine, or two or three - just in one bottle was off !!! perchance.

However, I stray, but from the car park the sun was shining on the belltower of the old St Kentgern Church, which dates back to 1556, the old records say that it was in need of repair in 1648, however as the village of Penicuik expanded the church was far too small so a new church was started in about 1760.

The belltower of the old church was added in 1743 by Sir john clerk.

Within the graveyard is the family mausoleum of the Clerk family who resided in Penicuik House and who are still one of the major landowners in the county.

There are several very old graves within the graveyard, and one I found was dated 1709 on one side, and on the other , as seen was ornately decorated with skeletons.

In 1975 the bell was stolen from the belltower, however, fortunately the local Police , and me being one of them at the time, recovered the bell before it was smelted by the crooks.

The graveyard also sits on a seam of running sand, interesting, as the graves have been known to rise over the years - occasionally causing a bit of excitement.

Anyway, just a bit our of sequence, the first photo is of the memorial to the Howgate Carrier, James Noble and his wife Ailie. BUT, BUT, this is an interesting memorial as , in reality, it commemorates a well known series of stories written by an eminent surgeon, Dr John Brown, the stories called "Rab and his Friends" were / are remarkable, and the characters of James Noble and Ailie are based on a local cart driver John Jackson, who married a Margaret Todd in 1807, moved up to Loanstone and eventually died in 1830.

"Rab" was a giant bull mastiff, owned by John Jackson which, after his death stopped eating , became hostile and was killed by Jackson's successor as a cart driver.

I have read the full story and it is a wonderful essay invoking many emotions, certainly well worth a read.