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Relatives: Wife of James Hart Stone Condition: Sound Material: Sandstone Height: 2.73 Breadth: 0.23 Depth: 0.4 Inscription Condition: Clear but worn Inscription Technique: Incised Mason: Not known Pre 1855 no. 56 ( What's this? )

Monument Inscription

This is the burying place of james Hart, Wright in neutoun
and Jenet Alexander his spouse who died oct 15th 1816 aged 30 years
and their children

Family History

This monument is one of a few of its style to be found within the precinct of Mearns Kirkyard.

Instead of the traditional vertical or upright stone or horizontal or table shaped stone this one is linear in shape. Cut into local whinstone the monument is constructed in a triangular column designed to lie flat on the ground showing an upper face on which any inscription is affixed.

As often the case with stones of this age (late 18th, early 19th century) the stone would have been laid down on the death of the first commemorated person, with the remainder of the family to be added as and when they were buried. The spread of the stone would suggest that it took in the equivalent of two lairs thus allowing for more burials than usual.

James Hart is described on this monument as a wright by occupation. While this craft was in later years to be included in trades associated with engineering in the period in which James was alive he would have worked virtually exclusively with wood. The work of the wright was often associated with the manufacture of wheels but extended to general joinery of all types from the building of farm carts to ploughshares.

James may have originated from East Kilbride as one such named was born in that town during the appropriate period. He was to marry a Carmunnock girl by the name of Jenet Alexander. The marriage took place in that village on 29th June, 1808. Jenet’s parents were Robert Alexander and Mary Cummin. Jenet was twenty-one years of age at the time of her marriage having been born on 27th August, 1786.
From the wording of the stone inscription indications are that the entire family perished at the same time. If this were to be the case perhaps disease or tragedy was the cause of this traumatic event.