By Sandra Dick

Coated in moss and decaying, they are final monuments to those who have gone long before that tell their own story in symbols and prose.

The kirkyard gravestones at Kells Parish Church in New Galloway are known for their richly detailed stonework, with finely chiselled details that reflect the centuries old spiritual beliefs and hint at the lives of those dearly departed.

While some stones, such as one which shows a gunpowder flask, fishing rods, hunting dog, partridge and flintlock sporting gun, give more than a heavy clue as to who lies below, others are harder to figure out.

Now a citizen archaeology project aims to unravel details of the lives – and, of course, the deaths – of some of the kirkyard’s oldest occupants.

The Grave Encounters project will see gravestones, many of which are showing increasing signs of wear and tear, analysed and recorded, while church records and other documents will be scoured for indications as to the life and times of those buried in the shadow of the kirk.

Among them are two 17th century covenanter stones, raised in tribute to two local men who defied the king’s forces in pursuit of their passionate support for the Presbyterian Church.

The feverish period known as ‘The Killing Times’ saw around 18,000 covenanters lose their lives in a brutal struggle against efforts by King Charles II and King James VIII attempts to install themselves as head of the church in Scotland.

It led to ministers – many of whom were in the south west of Scotland – holding their religious gatherings under the night sky on a lonely moor or hidden under cover of woodland.

One, Adam McWhann, had been hiding from the royal forces in the hills of New Galloway, but had returned home after falling ill. He was hauled from his sick bed and, after languishing in the Town Hall jail, was taken outside and shot dead by Colonel James Douglas.

But while the covenanters’ stones are relatively plain, others in the graveyard feature ornate and fascinating detail, including four ‘Adam and Eve’ stones which show a richly carved scene from the Garden of Eden, and others showing ‘winged souls’ depicted in elaborately carved cherubs representing the deceased person’s ascent to heaven.

The project is part of a series of archaeology and nature-based research projects that have been run by Galloway Glens, a partnership led by Dumfries and Galloway Council and which has also seen an exploration of the area’s lost and hidden ancient wells, and various landscape regeneration projects.

Archaeologist Claire Williamson of Rathmell Archaeology, who is working on the Can You Dig It graveyard project, said: “The gravestones at Kells feature some of the most stunning carvings to be seen in Scottish kirkyards, and include depictions of Adam and Eve, winged souls and even Father Time.

“One, dating to the 1730s, shows a set of scales between two figures: the merchant buried on the left and Father Time on the right. The merchant has placed a weight on the scales, but Father Time tips the scales down with only his hand, indicating his power over mankind.

“These are not just random carvings, there are meanings behind them and they were deliberately chosen for each stone.

“It’s like little messages that have been left behind for us to discover.”

Stones at the kirkyard range from the early 18th century to more modern times, with the most fascinating showing symbols that often relate to death and the afterlife.

One of the most distinctive is the stone featuring symbols of gamekeeping, erected in honour of gamekeeper John Murray, who died in 1777.

He worked on the nearby Kenmure Castle estate, and was said to have risen to a challenge set by his employer Viscount Kenmure after he grumbled about the lack of any fish bigger than a minnow in his loch.

With is professional pride at stake, Murray is said to have set off to prove him wrong, returning with a 72lb pike which he threw at his boss’s feet, declaring “Ca’ ye this a mennow?”

The Viscount later arranged a competition for an epitaph on the gamekeeper’s gravestone, which refers to his “nods, grimaces, winks and pranks are o’er. Thy harmless, queerish, incoherent talk, They wild vivacity and trudging walk.”

The project will aim to research the kirkyard’s 485 stones, although most have only scant detail, and will involve ‘citizen archaeologists’ using online research tools and ageing documents in the hunt for clues as to who they refer to.

With fears that climate change and the natural process of decay will eventually leave gravestones unreadable, the project also aims to create 3D models of some of the stones, in order to ensure there is a detailed record of the carvings for future generations to explore.

Claire added: “We know of a casualty from the Crimean War who died in 1855 of cholera, and a 19th century artist called Faed whose gravestone features an artist’s palette and paintbrush.

“We hope that by giving people the skills to research Kells kirkyard, they can then go on to carry out similar research at other locations around Dumfries and Galloway.”