| Corpus Refs: | Macalister/1945:518 |
| Site: | KMADR |
| Discovery: | first mentioned, 1810 Todd, W. |
| History: | Craig/1997, 617, notes that it is one of three inscribed stones first recorded in a drawing made in about 1810 by William Todd, parish schoolmaster of Kirkmaiden (not 1822 as stated in Allen/Anderson/1903, 495). Then standing in old burial ground at Kirkmadrine, they were still there in 1839 according to Anderson/1845, 164: `During the incumbency of the Rev. Robert M'Neil, who was minister from 1840 to 1844 the previously unenclosed burial ground was walled in (Robertson/1918, 139) and [KMADR/1 and KMADR/2] were reused as gateposts at the entrance. At the same period, following the Disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843, [KMADR/3] was removed to the new Stoneykirk Free Church manse (NX 096 488), 1.7km to the East and built into the gate pillar (Maxwell/1917, 203)'. Craig/1997, 618, states that the stone was first published by Mitchell in 1872 who reproduced Todd's sketch (Mitchell/1872) but this stone `was not recovered until the autumn of 1916, when the gate pillar at Stoneykirk manse was repaired. This gate pillar was a conical drum-like construction 6ft high and 11ft in circumference (Brown/1921, Plate I, 2). The inscribed stone was placed horizontally and ran the full width of the pillar. It is probable that this stone was originally of similar length to Kirkmadrine 1 and 2, but the lower part had been removed and an iron staple inserted into the foot, on which the upper part of the gate was hung. The inscription was on the lower face, and only noticed by the mason after he had started to break up the stone for building material (Robertson/1918, 140; Maxwell 1917, 202--4)'. Craig/1997, 618: `It is not clear if the phrase `as they stand' on Todd's drawing implies that the three stones were placed side by side, with Kirkmadrine 3 in the middle, as shown in the published engraving (Mitchell/1872, Plate xi). M'Neil suggested that the Todd drawing might be used to fix the original position of the stones in the graveyard (1952, 177), but this is not possible using Mitchell's version, though Todd's original sketch [now lost] may have been more detailed'. Craig/1997, 618, notes that given the probable expansion at the base of the pillar, it is possible `that the base of each stone was embedded in a mound, such as a cairn or barrow'. CISP: The above sequence was established in detail only by Craig/1997. Previous authors have suggested that the earliest known position (as gateposts) was not original. In the light of Craig's discoveries, Thomas's assumption that the stones came from the same site as Low Curghie (Thomas/1981a, 284), must be questioned. |
| Geology: | |
| Dimensions: | 0.99 x 0.25 x 0.33 (converted from Macalister/1945) |
| Setting: | in display |
| Location: | on site With the other stones, behind an iron railing in an open alcove built at the W. end of the restored burial chapel. |
| Form: | cross-marked Craig/1997, 618, notes that this stone `was probably about the same height [as KMADR/1 and KMADR/2], as suggested in Todd's drawing, before being cut down for use in the gate pillar. An elevation of it in this position shows the remnants of an expanded foot. It is therefore possible, as Baldwin Brown argued in detail (1921, 43--48), that the base of each stone was embedded in a mound, such as a cairn or barrow'. |
| Condition: | incomplete , some |
| Folklore: | none |
| Crosses: | 1: equal-armed; linear; expanded; curved; square; circular; none; none; n/a |
| Decorations: | no other decoration |
| Allen, R. (1903): | INITIUM | ET FINIS Expansion: INITIUM ET FINIS Translation: The beginning and the end. Allen/Anderson/1903 495 reading only |
| Macalister, R. A. S. (1945): | INITIVM | ET F/INIS
FINIS Macalister/1945 496 reading only |
| Thomas, C. (1992): | INITIVM | ET F/INIS Expansion: INITIUM ET FINIS Translation: The beginning and the end. |
| Orientation: | horizontal |
| Position: | inc ; broad ; below cross ; undivided |
| Incision: | cut Macalister/1945, 496: `cut'. |
| Date: | 590 - 609 (Radford/Donaldson/1957) |
| Language: | Latin (rcaps) |
| Ling. Notes: | Seems to be mirroring the `alpha et omega' of KMADR/1/1, also an echo of the liturgy. |
| Palaeography: | Thomas/1992b, 2: `Devolved capitals, closer to a book-hand, with (line 2) ET almost as for [KMADR/1 and KMADR/2], and FI semi-ligatured -- I descends from end of F's lower horizontal'. The capitals appear akin to `decorative capitals'. Many of the letters have wedge-shaped finials. The first `N' is H-shaped, while the `TI' of initium are considerably smaller than the rest of the word, as is the `T' of et, and the first `I' of finis. The `U' of initium is, along with other letters, sloped to the right, and `flat bottomed', with the right ascender descending below the horizontal stroke. The `M' is formed by a horizontal stroke atop the ascenders. The `FI' of finis are conjoined, while the `N' has a right ascender very much shorter than the left, with the cross-stroke joining the right ascender at its bottom. |
| Legibility: | good The text is clear. |
| Lines: | 2 |
| Carving errors: | |
| Doubtful: | no |