Once recorded, all were rewritten to make readable for our typist. Where there was doubt, those which predated 1855 were checked against the previous survey conducted by the Mitchells in 1968. Even when rewritten (ie Printed) each was checked again against the stone with one reading the stones and one reading the transcriptions. Even at this late stage occasional corrections had to be made which proved the value of the exercise. It also gave us the assurance that what we had recorded was absolutely correct.

General

It was inevitable that with such a regular and constant attendance in the graveyard we should become very familiar with it and we should also conjecture on its story.

The general level of the graveyard is cosiderably higher than the surrounding paths; even the old church built in 1780 is so much higher. It is hard to believe that the small area was a natural plateau or knoll. If St Modan was buried there 1300 years or more ago - and we believe that he was - then it was already a graveyard and has been to the present day. Thousands may have been buried there with graves used over and over again. Others may well be buried in the fields of the Penisula farms.

While we found 354 stones; standing, table or flat, with 10 wall plaques, we also found two of the old fashioned metal plates with lair numbers, 410 and 542. These had to be comparatively recent, yet where were the lairs?

We found stones leaning against walls, so obviously away from their original positions.

It was noticed that the majority of the stones marked the graves of people who had held positions in the community: - ,tailors ( spelled taylors ). shoe/bootmakers, farmers, feuars , ministers, church elders ( from reading local histories ). but where was everyone else?

Reference has been made to the mistakes on the inscriptions which raised the question of the professionalism and the literacy in the olden days. There were four spellings of the name Rosneath; two spellings of Stroul; three correct spellings of Argyll. Some may be errors but others would have been correct at the time.

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