Dalmeny graveyard: reading the evidence

The churchyard preserves a different history from the building: one expressed in names, inscriptions and carved symbols.

What the archived guide described

The 2015 page highlighted family names, symbols associated with death and resurrection, and references to occupations. It also mentioned former ministers, schoolmasters, local landowners and the Rosebery family vault. A stone coffin near the south doorway was discussed as a possible early burial; the identification was tentative.

When accounts differ

The archived parish guide named a stone dated 1669 as the oldest apart from the medieval coffin. The HES designation record notes 1678 as the earliest gravestone. These accounts differ. Record both sources and seek monument-level evidence rather than silently selecting one date as certain.

A useful research note

• Record the visible name, date and exact inscription separately.
• Keep the monument’s position and source reference with your notes.
• Distinguish a reading from an interpretation or family tradition.
• Do not assume an illegible or missing stone means a person was never buried there.

Respect the burial ground and leave its surfaces undisturbed. For access questions, use the contact guide.