408 Meetings of Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, by J. Hardy. 



traist."* Margaret Paterson was Lady Blackcastle at the 

 beginning of the eighteenth, century. The mansion house of 

 Blackcastle stood in a field on the slope north of the church, 

 in which two sycamores grow, which is still the minister's 

 land. The family is represented by the Belsches of Inver- 

 may. Oldhamstocks was of old a rectory, and the patron- 

 age was vested in the lord of the manor, who at an 

 early period was Hepburn of Hailes. The rector was a 

 personage of consequence, and the names of several of them 

 are adhibited to charters. Adulph was "presbyter" of Alde- 

 hamstoc in 1127, placed dimly on the boundary between the 

 known and the unknown, and at a transition period of church- 

 men's titles. 



On the corner of the church is a peculiarly shaped dial, with a 

 rude stone gnomon. There is one of similar construction at 

 Cockburnspath, with an iron plate instead of stone, to shadow 

 forth the passing hours ; these being out of public view, no one 

 attends to in either case. There are here on several of the aged 

 tombstones many of the grim symbols by which the stone-cutters 

 of the eighteenth century strove to harrow the feelings of sur- 

 vivors by rendering death as unlovely as they could conceive — 

 fat, coarse-featured cherubs, cross bones, skulls, hour glasses, 

 and similar horrors. The occupations of the departed are also 

 attempted to be set forth — the labourer has his pick and spade, 

 the tailor his shears and goose, the joiner the square, axe, and 

 compass, and the weaver his shuttle. There is also a figure in 

 the dress of the period. 



After viewing the well-stocked herbaceous borders and flower 

 plots, the members were most hospitably entertained at the 

 manse, and were shewn the old Session Records, and other in- 

 teresting documents of local importance. Mr Stevenson of Dunse 

 pointed out the geological features of the district during the 

 journey, and consented, at the request of the Club, that his map 

 of this portion of East Lothian, which he has thoroughly studied, 

 should, after revisal, appear in the Club's "Proceedings." 



* Note. — Arms of Hepburn of Blackcastle. Gules on a chevron argent, a 

 rose between two lions combatant of the first, in base a buckle in shape of a 

 heart of the second. Crest— A horse's head couped proper garnished gules. 

 Motto — " Keep tryst." — Burke's General Armory. Arms of Paterson of Ban- 

 nockbum. Argent three pelicans vulned gules ; on a chief embattled azure, 

 as many mullets of the field. — Ibid. Nisbet's Heraldry, i., p. 354. 



