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Forbes View, ELLON, AB41 7WG

Modern housing on the outskirts of Tarves.

This impressive tomb marks the burial place of William Forbes, 7th Lord of Tolquhon, and his wife, Elizabeth Gordon. Lord Tolquhon died in 1596. Top left, there’s a shield showing the arms of Forbes; on the other side, there’s a shield showing the arms of Lesmoir, his wife’s family. This shield is impaled with the arms of Forbes. Six running dogs adorn the arch, with a skull and crossed bones on the base, representing man’s mortality. On either side of the arch, there are small statues of Lord and Lady Tolquhon. Maintained by Historic Environment Scotland, visitors are invited to take part in Citizen Science by submitting photographs of the tomb to Monument Monitor. This is to facilitate assessment levels of water damage. For a 2008 view, see Image

This is a carefully protected monument in the kirkyard of Tarves, in what was the aisle of the mediaeval kirk. It was erected in 1589 by William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhon, to commemorate himself and his wife Elizabeth Gordon, daughter to Gordon of Lesmoir. William Forbes died in 1596.

The church and graveyard in Tarves village.

Tarves war memorial by the church on Kirk Brae.

Presumably these four old graveslabs have been placed here for safe keeping. The inscription on the right-hand slab reads, round the edges: HEIR·LYIS·THOMAS·CRAIG·PURSENANT·QVHA·DEPAIRTIT·YE·19·MAI·1584·AND·MARJORIE·RIDDELL·HIS·SPOVS·QVHA·DEPAIRTIT·YE·XV·APRILL·1583 For more information about these old slabs, see Image

Four ancient memorials set aside the South side of Tarves kirk. Left to right the memorials commemorate: Thomas Gardyne, minister of Tarves from 1593-1633. His wife Isobel and his sister-in-law Agnes Chalmers. William Craig (1617), Rothesay Herald, and Thomas Craig (1583), Pursuivant. The Craigs were both members of the College of Heralds of Scotland.

Built in 1798 in "preaching-box" style (a simple rectangular floor-plan) to replace a medieval church that had fallen into ruin. B-listed: http://data.historic-scotland.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/f?p=2200:15:0::::BUILDING:16004 .

Once a road out of the village, this is now a quite cul-de-sac by the kirk.

From left to right we see the grave slabs of: 1) Agnes and Isobel Chalmers. If you use your imagination, you can just make out the Chalmers' arms of: Argent a fesse gules in chief a lion issuing from the shoulders from the top of the fesse sable; 2) Thomas Gardyne, minister at Tarves sometime around 1630; 3) William Craig and Marjory Reith; 4) Thomas Craig and Mariorie Ridell. The Craigs were apparently heraldic officials, but nothing more appears to be known about them and their arms (ermine, on a fess a dog's head between two crescents) appear to be unrecorded. For more on these intriguing objects, see: Epitaphs and Inscriptions from Burial Grounds and Old Buildings in the North East of Scotland (vol. 2, p. 349) by Alexander Jervise, publ. Edinburgh 1879 and available as an e-book or free download from archive.org. Note the "cherry cocking" (decorative chips of coloured stone embedded in the mortar) in the wall of the church behind.