Antiquities of Eskdalemuir. 19 



mention for the benefit of benighted travellers in moorland 

 stretches, that whatever danger there may be in goJ^ig" forward, 

 there is infinitely greater danger in their turning back. Methinks 

 this is very g-ood general advice and ought to be acted upon as far 

 as possible on all occasions. So let us avail ourselves of it, and go 

 forward to the next object of interest. That object is to be found in 

 a rude relic of persecuting days commonly called " The Through- 

 Stane " (Scottice) stone coffin, which stands in a field on the right 

 hand of the road as we come down the parish a little above the 

 farmhouse of Craighaugh ; the inscrii^tion on that rude sepulchre 

 bears the following : " Here lyes Andr. Ilislop, Martyr shot dead 

 upon this place by Sir Thamas Johnston of Westerhall and John 

 Graham of Claverhouse for adhering to the Word of God Christs 

 Kingly government in his house and ye covenanted work of 

 reformation agst. tyranny peq'qury and prelacy May 12th 1685 

 re: 12.11. Wait passenger, one word with thee or two, why I 

 ly here, wouldst thou truly know by wicked hands, hands cruel 

 and unjust without all law my life from me they thrust and being 

 dead they left me on this spot & for burial this same place I got, 

 truths friends in Eskdale, Now triumph then let viz the faithful 

 for my seal that got 1 702." 



With a clearness and circumstantiality that leave nothing to 

 be desired the eloquent Macaulay thus records the tragic tale : 

 " While this was done in Clydesdale, an act not less horrible was 

 perpetrated in Eskdale. One of the proscribed Covenanters over- 

 come by sickness had found shelter in the house of a respectable 

 widow and had died there. The corpse was discovered by the 

 laird of Westerhall, a petty tyrant who had in the days of the 

 covenant professed inordinate zeal for the Presbyterian Church ; 

 who had since the restoration purchased the favour of the Govern- 

 ment by apostasy, and who felt toward the party he had deserted 

 the implacable hatred of an apostate. This man pulled down the 

 house of the poor widow, carried away her furniture, and leaving 

 her and her younger children to wander in the fields, dragged her 

 son Andrew, who was still a lad, before Claverhouse, who happened 

 to be marching through that part of the country. Claverhouse 

 was just then strangely lenient ; some thought that he had not been 

 quite himself since the death of the Christian carrier ten days 

 before. But Westerhall was eager to signalise his loyalty, and 

 extorted a sullen consent. The guns were loaded, and the youth 



