The Murray Burial Aisle at Selkirk Kirk

Image: © James Denham Taken: 29 May 2010

The aisle, dedicated to the Murray family is interesting in more ways than one. The family of Philiphaugh near Selkirk are descended from the de Moravia family of Falahill and spread throughout the borders in medieval times. There are stones in the building marking the 'graves' of de Moravias who died in the late 13th. century and early 14th. century. There are also Murray graves with date long before the present church was built. There are two trains of thought, the stones were inserted following the demise of the church or the burial aisle was in place before this church was built. I say following the demise or before the building was erected since, after the Reformation in 1560, burial INSIDE Scottish churches was banned. As a note of interest : Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd. President of the United States of America, is a direct descendant, on his mother's side, of the Murray family of Falahill and Philiphaugh. He took his ancestry very seriously even to the point of naming his dog 'Outlaw Murray of Falahill', calling the Scotch Terrier, Fala, for short.

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