The Ramsay Vault

The medieval church was under Ramsay patronage, so deceased family members were presumably buried inside the church. Thus, when it was demolished in 1711, a mausoleum was erected on the site, presumably for re-intering recovered bodies. The first recorded burial is that of Sir John Ramsay 2nd Baronet of Whitehall, who died on 14 April 1715. Over time, a total of 22 coffins were added to the stone shelf within, and sporadic efforts were made to tidy up. The last person to be buried in the mausoleum was Lady Anne Lindsay, wife of Robert Wardlaw Ramsay, who died on 14 January 1846. Then, in the 1880s, the contents of the mausoleum were removed and buried in the little plot next door, and a stone plaque listing their names was attached to the side of the church. Subsequent Wardlaw Ramsays had their own gravestones, or plaques, inserted within the plot.

The Italian Connection