The Ruthwell Cross and the Story it has to Tell. 115 



within the walls of the little Kirk at Ruthwell. To the Rev. 

 James M'Farlan, my predecessor as minister of the parish, 

 belongs, I believe, almost the whole credit of bringing about this 

 " consummation so devouily to be wished." The consent of the 

 Heritors and of the Presbytery having been obtained, the neces- 

 sary sum (£300) was raised through his instrumentality — His 

 Majesty's Board of Works making a grant of £50 towards the 

 amount; and the work was successfully carried through under 

 his supervision. A semi-circular apse was added to the north 

 side of the church. The Cross was safely conveyed thither, 

 and set up again within a few feet of the spot on which it had 

 formerly stood. Two years prior to this time Mr M'Farlan had 

 published his admirable little monograph on " The Ruthwell 

 Cross," of which a second edition has since been called for. 

 From local antiquarians, and notably from members of this 

 society, Mr M'Farlan, I am assured, met with hearty encourage- 

 ment, and received cordial support and substantial aid in carry- 

 ing out the beneficent and laudable work to which he had set his 

 hand. In the same year (1887) the Ruthwell Cross and St. 

 Ninian's Cave, Glasserton, Wigtownshire, were declared to be 

 " ancient monuments ' ' under the provisions of the Ancient 

 Monuments Protection Act of 1882. At the back of the cross- 

 chamber a brass tablet bears the following inscription : — 



" The Ruthwell Cross. 



" Dates from Anglo-Saxon times : Destroyed 

 during the Conflicts which followed the Reforma- 

 tion : Lay in the earthen floor of this Church from 

 1642 to 1790: Erected in the Manse Garden in 

 1823: Sheltered here and declared a Monument 

 under The Ancient Monuments Act, in 1887." 



The Cross, it may be added, is 18 feet in height. The shaft 

 is now sunk about 8 inches, so that its length as seen at present 

 is 17 feet 4 inches. From what has been already said it will be 

 apparent that the Ruthwell Cross was already hoary with age 

 when it was first noticed by any historical records which are 

 at present known to us. History, or as we may call it external 

 evidence, and does not carry us much further back than two cen- 

 turies and a half. From i7iicrncil evidence, on the other hand. 



